Revisions
by Roschelle Templar
Summary: A tragic accident and a moment of chance force an encounter between two people who thought they would never meet. As they learn to co-exist, both of them will discover that what appears to be random is actually fate...and that sometimes fate begins to unfold long before people are aware of it.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Another new story. :) This one occurred to me after reading some of the translations of the Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania translations on the web, specifically some of the "secret" background facts about the characters. Plus, thus far, I hadn't written any stories involving Seifer in this fandom and wanted to see if I could pull it off. At any rate, I hope my readers like it. :) Oh and this one also takes place about two years after the end of the game, but it is not related to my other new story, _Fidelitas_, at all.

Once again, I would like to thank **Bebedora** for her help in beta'ing this fic. And again, I highly encourage anyone who reads this to check her stuff out as well. :)

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who reads/follows/favorites/reviews this. It is always appreciated.

Chapter One

Staring out the window of the _Atomos, _Laguna Loire could only think about one thing: how much he wished he was already home.

After Esthar re-joined the world community almost two years ago following the battle against Ultimecia, there were an increasing number of requests from the other major powers for Laguna to attend treaty negotiations. The goal was to ensure continued peace and financial stability amongst the nations. Usually, Laguna would attend these gatherings with Kiros and Ward in tow, partially to help him navigate the political scene, but also to keep him company during these events. The most recent gathering had been in Dollet to go over trade agreements, and Laguna had hoped that his friends would go with him to help him through what was sure to be a series of painfully dull meetings.

However, this time Kiros had fallen ill and Ward needed to stay in Esthar to attend to the annual security audits. As a result, Laguna had gone alone with a couple of council assistants and a small troop of soldiers.

Unfortunately, the meetings were even more mundane and pointless than he had anticipated, and Laguna ended up asking himself multiple times why his presence was even remotely necessary.

'_They could have just sent that stuff via computer,' _he thought as his lips curled into a pout. '_Instead I had to sit through six meetings that all said the same thing: don't put too many tariffs on our stuff. Sheesh, who knew there could be so many different ways to say that. Oh well, at least I was able to catch up on my sleep.'_

Laguna stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back in his chair. They had left Dollet a few hours prior and were scheduled to reach Esthar in about two hours. He had tried asking the other people on the ship if they had a magazine he could read, but had had no luck.

'_Geez there's nothing to do,' _he thought gloomily. '_I wish I had my computer and could play some games. Heck, I'd settle for a card game at this point, but none of these guys like to play.'_

Laguna let out a sigh and propped his chin on his hand. This was the fifth trip he had been on in the last two months, and for the first time in his life, he was starting to hate traveling. He thought about how Kiros and Ward had been encouraging him to take a vacation, and was starting to think that maybe they had a point.

'_As soon as I get back, I'm going to take a week off,' _he told himself. '_I was thinking about spending some time with Elle at Fisherman's Horizon and maybe swinging by Winhill for a day. Maybe I could catch up with Balamb Garden and visit with Squall for a couple days. Yeah, that would be good.'_

Laguna smiled as he continued to plan his itinerary. He barely heard one of the pilots mention getting some strange readings from the flight consoles. But he was quickly brought back to reality when alarms began to go off and the ship began to shake violently.

"What's going on?" Laguna said, jumping up from his seat. "What's happening?"

"Engine failure," one of the pilots yelled. "Something must have gotten into the propulsion units."

"We're sending out a distress call now," the other pilot said.

Suddenly the ship lurched wildly, causing Laguna to topple onto the floor. More alarms went off and many of the passengers were clutching their seats in terror. Laguna slowly pulled himself back onto his feet and tried to move closer to the pilots.

"Shouldn't we just land?" Laguna said. "It feels like it's going to fall apart at any minute."

"We're trying to, Mister President," one of the pilots shouted at him. "But there's no place around here to land and the controls aren't responding."

"Mayday! Mayday!" the other pilot said into the ship's radio. "Esthar, do you read us?"

Laguna tried to say something else, but was quickly grabbed by two soldiers and dragged to the rear of the ship, causing him to yelp like a child.

"H-hey, what are you doing?" Laguna as he struggled against their grip. "Let go!"

"Sorry, Mister President," the soldier on his left said. "But this ship is flying apart, and we need to get you out of here."

The soldiers shoved Laguna toward an escape pod near the bay doors at the back of the ship. The pod was a prototype that was similar to the ones that had been used on the Lunar Base station. Thus, it was programmed to not only safely eject a person from the craft, but to find a safe place to land.

Laguna tried to wriggle away, but wasn't able to stop the soldiers from pushing him into the pod and strapping him in securely.

"Hey, wait a minute," Laguna shouted at them. "There's only one of these in the whole ship and we're over water. Those other pods won't stand a chance in that ocean. What about you guys?"

"We'll take our chances with the ship," one of the soldiers said grimly.

"Yeah," the other soldier said. "Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll actually be able to land this thing."

"No wait..." Laguna started.

"Sorry, Mister President," the soldier said as he closed the hatch to the pod. "But Esthar can't afford to lose you."

The hatch latched shut, and the other soldier went over to the control panel to release the pod. Laguna slapped his hands against the walls of the pod, but it was no use. Seconds later, the bay doors opened up enough to let the pod out before immediately re-closing.

"Stay safe, Mister President," one of the soldiers said quietly. "And thank you, for what you have done for Esthar….for all of us."

* * *

Laguna's stomach lurched as he watched the _Atomos_ slide further away through the small window in the pod as it dropped through the atmosphere. He was surprised at how smoothly it sailed along the air currents. Then he saw the _Atomos_ smoke and veer wildly across the sky. A long moment passed before a curl of flame erupted from the nose of the ship right before it exploded into a million pieces. Laguna yelled and beat his fists against the frame of the window even though he knew it was futile.

'_All those people….that one soldier who snuck a pizza into my hotel room for me…the minister of finance's assistant who said his wife was going to give birth to their second child any day now…that other guy who kept saying how he wanted to hit his favorite bar once we got back to Esthar…. They're all dead. All of them. Except for me….'_

Laguna let his hands fall to his sides and pressed his forehead against the window. Tears slid down his face as he continued to remember all the people who were on that ship. Even though he was grateful to the soldiers who had saved his life, he could not help but feel guilty that they had sacrificed themselves to keep him safe.

He scrubbed his eyes vigorously with the back of his hand and watched as he saw a land mass come into view. The vast swaths of white told him that he was heading toward Trabia. He immediately shivered when he realized that all he had on was a long-sleeved tee shirt, a pair of jeans and some sneakers.

His thoughts were interrupted again, however when bits of debris hit the pod, causing it to shudder and rattle. More lights began to blink rapidly, and Laguna panicked as he realized that the pod was accelerating toward the ground.

'_It's going to crash. And it'll be out in the middle of nowhere. There's no way I'm going to make it.'_

Laguna shook and closed his eyes, refusing to watch the ground rush toward him.

'_Kiros, Ward…I'm going to miss you guys. Take care of yourselves.'_

'_Elle, Squall…I wish I could have seen you one more time. I love you both so much.'_

'_Raine…I'm scared. Please, stay with me. I'm coming back to you real soon….'_

There was a loud noise and a terrific jolt as the pod slammed into the terrain. Laguna managed to open his eyes for a split second before his world went black and he lost consciousness.

* * *

Standing alone at the edge of the Sorbald snowfield in Trabia, Seifer Almasy frowned at the sight outside his window.

Three weeks ago, Seifer, along with Raijin and Fujin had made an abandoned shelter their newest hideout while they took a break from work. Two years had done little to erase the memory of his role in the Ultimecia affair, and as a result, Seifer discovered that he had few options in life. Going back to either Balamb or Galbadia meant facing charges for a whole list of crimes. He did not have any outstanding warrants in Dollet or Esthar, but Seifer was wary of going to any big city where he might be recognized and targeted by locals looking to tie up any loose ends from the war.

That left Seifer with small towns and villages along with isolated outposts for him to hide out in. At first, he hated spending his time in these backward places, but eventually he grew to enjoy the anonymity and quiet that they had to offer.

Seifer lifted his glass of whiskey to his lips and took another sip. Work had not been easy to find at first, but Fujin had managed to find contacts for people who needed capable fighters to perform a variety of odd jobs. Getting rid of local monster infestations to escorting expedition teams usually topped the list, but recently there had been a little more variety. Some of the jobs had been questionable in their legality, but Seifer found it easy to look the other way. After all, it wasn't as if he was an upstanding citizen himself.

Over time, Seifer and his group were able to gain a reputation as skilled and dependable along with willing to work for moderate pay and no questions asked. Those qualities were enough to get them a steady stream of income that grew over time. These days, the pay was good enough for him to support himself and his friends along with giving them the means to re-locate when necessary. It wasn't an easy life, but it was still better than prison…or a coffin.

After finishing what was left of his drink, Seifer slammed the glass down onto the stand next to him. Their last job had been particularly grueling and their current finances made it so that they could take some time off. Seifer decided that they should pick somewhere completely isolated so they could relax without having to worry about anyone hunting them down either for a bounty or to propose another job. He had asked Fujin and Raijin for suggestions, and Raijin mentioned that he knew someone who had a place they could use that was hidden away from any of the major cities.

Not having any better ideas, Seifer decided to go with it. The three of them took a boat to Trabia and there was a car waiting for them to use to get to the shelter. The shelter was sparse but comfortable and more than big enough for the three of them. Despite its coziness and advantageous location, however, near constant snowstorms made it impossible for them to go outside most of the time. As a result, Seifer was getting a severe case of cabin fever.

'_Damn, why did I listen to that idiot Raijin?' _he asked himself. '_Of all the places he could have picked, he just had to choose Trabia. During the blizzard season, no less. Why exactly do I keep him around?'_

Seifer snorted and thought about pouring himself another drink. Earlier that morning, Fujin and Raijin left to get some more supplies and start making arrangements for them to re-locate again by the end of the week. Wanting to avoid Trabia Garden as much as possible, they took a boat that had been left at the shelter to Winter Island to get some things from the Shumis. They also planned to use their communication facility to contact someone Fujin knew in FH for some job leads. Seifer decided to stay behind to keep an eye on their hideout, although now he was beginning to regret his decision.

'_Hyne, this is so boring. There is absolutely nothing to do out here. Those two better hurry back because I can't leave soon enough.'_

Seifer glanced over at the bottle of whiskey and ended up putting the cap back on. Drinking was just a distraction and not that great when he was by himself. What he really wanted was some action, something to challenge him. At this point, almost anything sounded better than this silent waiting.

He was about to walk away when a thunderous boom off in the distance caught his attention. Seifer rushed outside to get a better view. He looked up to see a faint billowing of fire and smoke in the distance.

'_What is that? Almost looks like a ship. Yeah…I bet it is a ship. Or it was a ship. Probably isn't a whole lot left to it now. Too bad. It might have been interesting to see who was on it.'_

Seifer continued to watch the plume of flame and soot fade while the bitterly frigid wind whipped up the snow around him. It was too cold to stay outside so he pulled his long grey coat closer to him and turned toward the door.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caused Seifer to glance back at the sky. He scanned the air for a full minute before finding what had caught his attention: a tiny round craft that appeared to be gently descending toward the ground. That slow descent suddenly changed, however, and thin line of smoke trailed out from it as it sped toward the forest below. Soon it dropped down out of view and disappeared into the trees a few miles away.

'_What was that? A piece of the ship? No, no if it were just debris it wouldn't have hovered like that. Must have been something else. But what?'_

Seifer shivered and turned his collar up against the cold. He knew that it would be safer to go back inside and forget about what he had seen. This time of year seemed to encourage the Snow Lions and Gaylas to come out of hiding and the forest would be crawling with them. Besides, chances were that it was nothing but a scrap of the ship that just happened to fall in an odd way. There really was no reason for him to investigate.

No reason except that it would be something different and possibly dangerous…and for Seifer that was just as good as any other reason to go.

* * *

Moments later, Seifer struggled to navigate the car that had been left at the shelter through the snow and trees surrounding him. The transport was old and not in very good shape, but so far it had been sufficient to get him to where he needed to go. Still, it was far from a smooth ride, and Seifer frowned as the car lumbered along the trail.

'_This is the last time I let Raijin choose our hideout. His 'friends' don't know a decent car from a wreck that should be scrapped. Hell, salvaging it for parts is too good for this piece of crap. If this thing gets stuck out here, I'm making that moron drag it back to the shelter.'_

Seifer turned on the windshield wipers and did his best to peer through the blowing snow. He caught a glimpse of smoke off to the side and yanked the wheel around to go toward it. The car skidded to a stop and he climbed out to survey the area in front of him. Bits of metal were scattered about the ground and at the center of it was a small pod that was covered in cracks and scorch marks.

'_This must have come from that ship before it exploded,' _he reasoned. '_Guess that means only one person was able to escape. Either he was a lucky guy…or he's someone important. So important that the rest of them were willing to save him instead of themselves.'_

Seifer stomped through the snow and examined the symbols on the front of the pod. They looked familiar and after another long moment of thought, he realized that they were the official seal of the government of Esthar.

'_Esthar? What are those guys doing all the way out here? Was that a cargo ship or something?'_

A soft moan from inside the pod interrupted Seifer's thoughts and he gripped the handle of his gunblade as he approached it. He watched the pod for another minute before deciding that whoever was inside was probably too incapacitated to pose any kind of threat. He moved his hand away from the hilt of his weapon and looked for something to pry open the lid of the pod. He found a long, flat shard of metal and wedged it under one of the edges. After a couple unsuccessful attempts, Seifer finally managed to get it open. He shoved the lid aside and crouched down to inspect the interior.

Inside was a man strapped to a chair fixed at the center of the pod. The man's head drooped to the side, and Seifer noted that there was a thin trickle of blood along his temple along with a growing bruise. His long, dark hair flapped about in the wind while his eyes remained close and his body still. In fact, if it were for the occasional moans, Seifer would have thought that he was dead.

'_Well now what?' _Seifer thought to himself as he scowled. '_I don't want to get saddled with this guy…but if I leave him out here, he'll die for sure.'_

It was while he was weighing the pros and cons of rescuing him versus leaving him there that Seifer realized that the man looked very familiar.

'_Hey, I've seen this guy before. On television or something. Yeah, Fujin was watching some news conference from Esthar and this guy was on it. He probably is someone important, just like I thought.'_

'_No…no, that isn't it. Not all of it. I know I've seen him somewhere else, but….'_

Seifer continued to search his mind for the answer when the man moaned again, his brow crinkling in pain, and shifted about. The man fumbled a hand along his cheek before falling back into deeper unconsciousness and Seifer immediately recognized the gesture.

'_Hold on, I've seen that before. Yeah, Puberty-Boy did the exact same thing whenever he got hurt. I remember him getting whacked by a Grat one time in the Training Center and he did that after he fell down.'_

Another memory suddenly sprang to mind, a rumor he had heard about a couple months after the end of the war. At the time, Seifer didn't believe it, but then he had gotten the definitive word a few months later: that Squall Leonhart was not an orphan after all and that his father was someone of great importance. It was then that he was able to put the pieces together.

'_No way,' _Seifer mused with a smirk. '_Of all the people who could have ended up in my backyard, I get Laguna Loire: the president of Esthar and Squally's dad. If I didn't know better, I'd think this was someone's idea of a stupid joke.'_

Seifer chuckled for a few seconds before frowning again. The fact that he had the most powerful man in Esthar and the father of his greatest rival right in front of him complicated things. He had no doubts in his mind that there would be plenty of people looking for Laguna, including Squall, and they were among the last people that Seifer wanted to run into. But Seifer was also certain that they wouldn't find Laguna in time to save him.

'_If this cold doesn't get him, the monsters will_. _Still….'_

Seifer frowned even more. It wasn't as if he considered himself to be an altruistic man, but there was a part of him who believed in fair play. Granted, his version of fair play was significantly different than other people's version of it, but leaving a man, who was essentially helpless, to die in the wilderness chafed at Seifer in a way few things could.

'_Guess I have no choice,' _he thought while shaking his head. '_But hey, maybe this isn't all bad. I'm sure Esthar would be very grateful to get their precious president back, perhaps even grateful enough to offer some kind of reward. Even if that didn't happen, I'm sure there would be plenty of advantages to earning favor with one of the most powerful countries in the world. Besides that, there's always Puberty-Boy to consider. Yeah, I like the idea of him owing me one. And I'll be sure to remind him of this at some point too.'_

Seifer grinned and pulled out a dagger from his pocket so he could cut the restraints holding Laguna in the pod. Once he was done, he hoisted Laguna up onto his shoulder and dragged him back to the car.

'_Looks like things are about to get a whole lot more interesting after all.'_


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Next chapter. I'm thinking that I might put up another chapter of this or _Fidelitas_ later this week. We'll see. :)

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this. It is always appreciated.

Chapter Two

Back at the Presidential Palace in Esthar, Ward Zabac wandered toward his office after a long morning of monotony.

The annual Esthar security audits were created at the beginning of Laguna's presidency. Their original objective was to make sure that the capital remained secure and stable while Esthar transitioned from a dictatorship to a democracy. Over time, the purpose shifted more toward security from monsters in the surrounding area than anything else, especially after Odine discovered a way to keep Esthar hidden away from the rest of the world. Currently, the security forces had gone back to their previous directives of security for its citizens in light of their new-found status as a world power.

Ever since the security audits began, it had fallen on Kiros to oversee them. As Head Attendant and the official head of the Palace security, it was his job to make sure that all branches of Esthar's military and metropolitan security met a set of vigorous standards. Kiros had also designed this series of objectives himself to guarantee Esthar's safety. This year, however, Kiros' illness had made it so that Ward had had to take over his duties, and at first, Ward had been excited about the prospect of learning more about the inner workings of the fighting forces of Esthar.

That is, until he realized that almost all of his time would be spent with bureaucrats and long-winded presentations.

'_Amazing,' _Ward thought as he walked. '_I didn't think that anyone could make fighting monsters and criminals mind-numbingly dull, and yet leave it to the government to find a way to do it. And then Kiros had the gall to pass it off as this all-important, engaging task when he knew that it was boring as hell.'_

'_Just you wait, Kiros. If you thought that prank Laguna dreamed up with the Chocobo feathers and hot sauce was bad, you haven't seen anything yet.'_

A malicious smirk played across Ward lips as he began to formulate a plan in his head. He did not notice the nervous stares that people walking by him got once they saw the expression on his face.

He was so wrapped up in his plotting that he didn't even realize that Kiros was sitting at his desk in his office until he called out to him. Once he did, Ward jumped slightly in shock and scowled at him, his desire for vengeance growing. After talking to Kiros' wife, Mara, about how she had spent the previous night taking care of her husband, Kiros was the last person Ward expected to see there.

"_I thought you were still stuck in bed," _Ward silently communicated to him as he walked up to Kiros' desk.

"Trust me, if Mara had her way, I still would be," Kiros said. "But I just have too many things to do here to sleep all day."

Ward was about to remind him that one of the things Kiros was supposed to be doing was overseeing the security audits, but then he noticed the way sweat was beading on Kiros' forehead and the way his breathing was labored even though he was sitting down.

"_Mara was right. You shouldn't be here," _he replied. "_You're still sick, Kiros. You should go back home and take it easy."_

"It's fine," Kiros said with a frown and a wave of his hand. "I just want to catch up on some of this stuff before Laguna gets back."

"_If Laguna were here, he'd be saying the same thing I am. You know for a fact that he would never want you to keep working like this while you were so ill."_

"Ward, I said I'm fine," Kiros said, slight irritation in his tone. "It's just some paperwork. You know how it is. You let it go for more than a day and it piles up exponentially."

Ward crossed his arms over his chest and gave Kiros his best scowl. Granted, unlike many who cowered at that expression, Kiros simply noted it with bemused interest. Still, Ward could tell that he had gotten the results he wanted because seconds later Kiros fell back against his chair and sighed.

"All right, you win," he said. "Just let me finish up what I have in front of me and then I'll go back to my quarters, ok? Or would you like to like to wade through these budget proposals?"

Ward glared at him again and took a large step back while Kiros started to grin.

"I thought so," he said, triumphant. "Now scram while I finish this up. It shouldn't take me more than an hour and then you can tell me all about your first annual security audit."

"_Kiros…you're a dead man."_

Kiros laughed and soon Ward joined in before being interrupted by Garv, a supervisor from Palace security.

"Um, excuse me, Minister Zabac, Minister Seagill," Garv said. "We have a situation."

Both Ward and Kiros had to fight the urge to roll their eyes. Garv had been a member of Adel resistance movement and had been a part of the Palace security team ever since Laguna had taken over as president. He was a loyal and competent man, but he was also far too fond of labeling anything out of the ordinary as a "situation".

"Yes, what is it, Garv?" Kiros asked.

"Sir, we just received a distress call from the _Atomos_," Garv said. "They reported experiencing catastrophic engine failure."

Ward's mouth dropped open in shock while Kiros slowly rose to his feet, his hands trembling.

"Were they able to land the ship?" he asked hoarsely.

"Their transmission was cut off before we could get anything else from them," Garv replied. "We tried to track them using the ship's homing beacon, but it stopped functioning moments after the transmission was lost. We can't say this for certain yet until we analyze the signals, but…it does appear as if the _Atomos_ was destroyed."

Ward staggered and had to use the edge of Kiros' desk to remain upright. Kiros collapsed back down onto his chair and put his head in his hands, his breaths coming out in heaving gasps as he tried to remain calm.

'_No!' _Ward thought to himself as he fought to hold in the tears that sprung to his eyes. '_It can't be…Laguna can't be….'_

"Garv," Kiros snapped, lifting his head. "What about the escape pods?"

"Begging your pardon sir, but I don't think they would have helped," Garv said. "The last coordinates we were able to triangulate for the _Atomos_ indicated that she was over the ocean, so even if they had…."

"No, not the escape pods that were originally fitted for the ship," Kiros said. "I'm talking about the prototype we installed for President Loire's personal use. That one had an independent navigation and tracking system."

"Oh yes, sorry sir," Garv replied. "Actually we did get a separate signal from the same vicinity as the _Atomos_ at around the same time that we received the distress signal. It might have been from the pod, but it's completely scrambled. The techs are still trying to make sense of it."

Kiros stood back up and moved out from behind his desk, his stride swift and purposeful despite his fatigue-strained posture.

"I need to see your latest results, Garv," Kiros said as he directed him back toward the security offices. "And notify the other pilots to get their ships ready for a rescue operation."

"Will do sir," Garv said. "Here, let me show you what we've got so far."

Kiros merely grunted and continued to walk alongside him while Ward shook himself out of his state of shock and scrambled to follow them.

'_I'm sure he made it,' _Ward told himself. '_Those soldiers who went with Laguna were among the elite of the Palace guard. There's no way they wouldn't have made sure that Laguna got away safely.'_

'_He's out there, somewhere. I just know it. We just need to find him.'_

* * *

Laguna moaned and thought about opening his eyes. But by the way his head was pounding, it didn't seem like a very attractive option.

'_I…I'm not dead? No, I can't be dead. If I were dead, my head wouldn't hurt this much. So I guess I survived. But…where am I now? I was over Trabia and….'_

'_Wait…if this is Trabia, why is it so warm?'_

Curiosity mixed with confusion finally compelled him to slowly crack his eyes open. He immediately squinted when confronted with bright light and blinked several times in an effort to get his eyes to focus. The first thing he saw when his vision cleared was a face…a face that was framed by light-colored hair and that had a scar running between a pair of bright eyes.

'_Squall! Squall, is that you?'_

He tried to call out to his son, but his words came out as an inarticulate slur of sound. Laguna closed his eyes and concentrated while taking a deep breath.

"About time you woke up. I was starting to wonder how long you were going to be out."

'_That's not Squall….'_

Laguna opened his eyes again, and this time he could clearly see blond hair and an unfamiliar smirk hovering over him.

'_Haven't I seen him before?'_

The man backed away from him and plopped himself down onto a chair across from the couch Laguna was currently lying on. Laguna put a hand to his head and felt a large bandage covering one of his temples. He studied the man in the chair for a long moment before suddenly realizing who he was.

"Hey!" Laguna said, bolting upright. "You're…."

Laguna immediately stopped when a throbbing ache slammed into his head and he felt dizzy. He felt back onto his back and covered his eyes with his hand.

"Uh-huh, maybe that will teach you to not try to move around so fast when you've got a head injury," the man smirked at him. "And don't you dare puke on the carpet. President or no president, I _will_ make you clean it up if you do."

"I know you," Laguna said, moving his hand away to stare at him. "You're Seifer Almasy."

"In the flesh," Seifer said, puffing out his chest. "I'm impressed that the president of Esthar knows who I am."

Laguna groaned and slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position. He looked down and was surprised to see that a blanket had been draped over him.

"Everyone in all the major governments knows who you are," Laguna said, frowning. "They're not likely to forget the man who tried to help an evil, time-traveling sorceress destroy the world."

"Yeah, try telling me something I haven't heard before," Seifer huffed. "Look, Ultimecia played me, just like she played everyone else. But you know what? It doesn't even matter. The good guys won and the bad guys got theirs. Now everybody's happy."

"Is that all you can say about it?" Laguna retorted. "Do you know how many people in Esthar were killed when the Lunar Cry happened thanks to you recovering Lunatic Pandora? Do you have any idea how many more lives could have been lost if Adel had had a chance to completely awaken and take her revenge?"

"Check your facts again, _Mister President_," Seifer said with a sneer. "Ultimecia is the one who manipulated Rinoa into releasing Adel. I had nothing to do with that. And she was the one who ordered the Galbadian government to excavate Lunatic Pandora. I was just her messenger."

"But you were there helping her," Laguna shot back. "You were her knight."

"Correction, I was supposed to be Edea's knight," Seifer said. "But that didn't quite work out the way I thought it would."

Laguna glared at him while Seifer laughed and leaned forward in his chair.

"Why don't we cut the crap?" he said. "If I'm not mistaken, I don't have any warrants for my arrest in Esthar. Am I wrong?"

"No," Laguna said, his frown deepening.

"That's what I thought," Seifer replied. "So stop trying to make this about Ultimecia or any of that stuff. You've clearly got something far more personal on your mind. And don't try to deny it 'cause I can already tell that you're a terrible liar."

Laguna narrowed his eyes at him and squared his shoulders.

"All right, you want something personal?" Laguna said. "How about the fact that you kidnapped Elle? I spent years trying to find her so she could have a better life in Esthar. And yet, just when I finally find her, you come along and snatch her away so Ultimecia could use her and her abilities for her own ends. Didn't you think she had already suffered enough at Adel's hands and with having to spend so much of her life in hiding?"

The smirk on Seifer's features suddenly disappeared and he turned away to look at the floor.

"I wasn't going to hurt Ellone," he mumbled. "Ultimecia just wanted to use her powers to send her into the past. Nothing else would have happened to her."

"And I'm supposed to believe that?" Laguna snapped.

"Believe what you want. I don't care," Seifer said, slapping his hand against the arm of his chair. "I wasn't going to let anything else happen to Ellone and that's a fact because she was the only one who…."

"Who what?" Laguna interrupted. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," Seifer muttered. "Forget it."

Seifer grabbed a glass and a bottle from the table beside him and poured himself a drink. He drained half of it in one gulp and then looked back at Laguna, the sneer returning to his face.

"Are you sure this has nothing to do with your boy Squally?" he said.

"His name is Squall," Laguna said, seething. "And what if it does?"

"Whoa, back up," Seifer smirked, holding up his palms toward him. "Did I touch a nerve there, _Dad_?"

"I am not your father," Laguna scowled at him.

"Actually, you weren't really Squall's father either, were you?" Seifer countered. "At least not for the first oh, seventeen years or so of his life. Running Esthar kept you a little too busy to play Daddy Dearest? Or is there some other reason why you left him in that orphanage? Granted, he _was_ a real pain in the ass, even back then."

Laguna frowned even more and looked down into his lap. As much as he didn't want to rise to the bait Seifer was laying out for him, he couldn't deny that Seifer's words had indeed hit a sensitive place in his heart. Even two years after he began to slowly build a new relationship with his son, there wasn't a day that went by when Laguna did not wonder if he would ever be able to forgive himself for not being there for Squall when he was growing up.

He heard Seifer pick up his glass and finish what was left in it. He was about to ask him what he was doing in Trabia when something Seifer said registered with him.

"You," Laguna said, looking up at him. "You were in that orphanage too?" Seifer frowned and put his empty glass back down.

"Yep," Seifer said. "But hey, even with Puberty-Boy hanging around, being his usual annoying self, it wasn't that bad. Matron was good to all of us…and that Chicken-Wuss Zell was always good for a laugh."

"You weren't adopted either, were you?" Laguna said, his voice becoming more somber. "You grew up with Squall at Garden? That's why you knew about his childhood, isn't it?"

"Hey, when did this become all about me?" Seifer smirked. "Not that I mind, really. But if you really want to know then the answer is yes. To all your questions. Didn't you know? I figured Squally would have told you. But I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. He never really was the talkative type."

"Stop calling him that," Laguna said, his anger rising again. "And is this why you hate my son so much? Because of some childhood grudge?"

"What makes you think I hate him?" Seifer asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What about that scar on his face?" Laguna said, balling his hands into fists. "I'm guessing you're the one who gave it to him."

"Oh sure, but then, how do you think I got this little beauty, hmm?" Seifer said, tapping a fingertip along the bridge of his nose. "Your baby-boy ain't exactly a saint himself, you know?"

"And that justifies torturing him?" Laguna retorted. "I know for a fact that he was in the D-District prison at one point during the war and that you were there. Trust me, I know all about how they treat prisoners…and how they carry out their 'interrogations'."

"That wasn't personal," Seifer said, his smirk fading. "That was business, and Squall knows it. And the reason why I know that is because, if he didn't he'd be trying harder to find me. Let me ask you this, Loire: haven't you ever wondered why he hasn't bothered to track me down?"

Laguna blinked hard and felt his hands relax. Truthfully, he _had_ wondered why Squall didn't seem all that concerned with trying to find Seifer and making him answer for his crimes. At one point, he had even offered to help his son find Seifer, but Squall had rejected the idea. He had been surprised, but he hadn't thought that much about it at the time. Now, however, he had to admit that he was even more confused than ever as to why Squall made that choice.

Laguna let his shoulders sag and he put his hand back up to his temple. By this point, it was obvious to him that Seifer had justified his actions during the Ultimecia affair to himself and that there was no use in trying to change his mind about it. Right now, all he could think about was how his head hurt and that he was still lost somewhere in Trabia with no idea about how to get back to Esthar.

He ran his fingers along the edge of his bandage and it finally occurred to Laguna that things could be a lot worse. No matter what the reasons for it were, the fact remained that Seifer had saved his life.

"Thank you," Laguna mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Seifer raised his eyebrows again.

"For what?"

"For rescuing me," Laguna said. "You didn't have to do it, but you did it anyway. And I'm sorry that I didn't thank you for it before now."

Laguna glanced over to see a genuinely surprised expression on Seifer's face. However, that look swiftly disappeared with a wave of Seifer's hand.

"Forget about it," Seifer said. "I only went out there because I was bored out of my mind. I don't need your gratitude."

"Maybe not," Laguna said. "But you have it anyway. That is, unless you were thinking about holding me for ransom or something."

"I know I've got this reputation as an unstoppable villain," Seifer said with a chuckle. "But in case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have the resources to deal with the entire Esthar army. Not to mention Balamb Garden, which I am sure would get involved before long."

"So then…what happens now?" Laguna asked him.

"What happens now is we make a deal," Seifer said. "How about this? I get you back to civilization so that someone from Esthar or Garden can pick you up and in return, you owe me one."

"Owe you one?" Laguna said, furrowing his eyebrows. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Whatever I need it to mean," Seifer said. "Look, I'm not the most liked guy in the world right now, and at some point, I might need someone to put in a good word for me, if you get my drift. Or, I might end up in a situation where I'll need someone with plenty of money and power to help me sort things out."

"I'm not going to help you do something illegal," Laguna said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh don't worry," Seifer scoffed. "I'm not going to ask you to tarnish your precious reputation or anything like that. I'm just saying that, I might need your help at some point and when that happens, I want you to remember this."

Laguna stared at him with a guarded expression on his face. Truthfully, he didn't think he could trust Seifer, but he also was pretty sure that he didn't have a choice in the matter.

"All right," Laguna said. "You've got a deal. So when do we get going?"

"Not tonight," Seifer said as he got up from the chair.

"Why not?"

"Because it's almost nightfall and this damn snow is making it impossible to see," Seifer replied. "We'll wait until morning to head out."

Laguna nodded and scratched the side of his head. Seifer walked past him and headed for a tiny spiral staircase.

"Where are you going?" Laguna asked him.

"To sleep," Seifer said. "Not that it's any of your business. And you need to do the same. The last thing I'll need tomorrow is you passing out on me or something. Bathroom's down the hall if you need it. And remember what I said about puking."

Seifer went up the stairs, leaving Laguna alone in the front room. Deciding to take up Seifer up on his implied offer, he got up onto wobbly legs and went to make use of the facilities. Once he was done, he laid back down on the couch and pulled the warm, but scratchy blanket up to his shoulders. As he closed his eyes, Laguna contemplated the situation he was in. Sure, he had been in worse ones, and yet he somehow doubted that they had been this awkward. Still, he figured that it was better to not dwell on it too much.

What mattered now was that he was still alive…and for now, he needed to focus on getting back home as soon as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Next chapter. I'm hoping to pick up the pace of updates on this one soon so I can wrap it up in the next couple of weeks. Also I apologize to any of my readers who are also reading _Fractures_ for neglecting that one for so long. I know I've said this before, but I am determined to get some updates posted for that one this week.

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this...and anyone who will do so in the future. It is always appreciated. :D

Chapter Three

"Are you sure this thing is safe?" Laguna asked as he watched Seifer precariously dodge yet another tree.

"Who knows?" Seifer growled at him. "But unless you've got a transport hidden in your pocket that you're not telling me about, this will have to do."

Laguna shrugged, flinching as they narrowly missed a large rock on the side of the trail.

After waking up this morning and sharing a quick meal, the two of them gathered up a few supplies and took off in the transport. Their destination was a harbor town in the far southern edge of the Sorbald snowfields. Laguna had suggested heading for Trabia Garden, but Seifer looked at him like he had just sprouted a set of extra arms.

"_Are you demented or something? You honestly think I'd walk right into a major SeeD stronghold? Just how hard did you hit your head anyway?"_

Seifer explained that there were ships docked at this town that made regular trips to Balamb. Once he was there, it would be easy for Squall to find him and take him back to Esthar.

The downside to this plan, however, was the fact that they would have to travel through some rough and hazardous terrain in order to avoid Trabia Garden. Seifer didn't seem concerned with dangers involved, bragging that this was just another day at work for him. Ordinarily, Laguna wouldn't have felt all that skittish either. But he couldn't help but feel some anxiety over the fact that he was unarmed and would have to rely on Seifer if anything went wrong. Granted, he wasn't worried about Seifer harming him anymore, but Laguna had a nagging suspicion that, if the situation got dicey, Seifer wouldn't his own neck out to keep him safe. At first, Laguna tried to tell himself that it was silly to worry about things like that for the simple reason that Seifer could be blamed if anything happened to him. It didn't take long for him to realize, however, that someone would have to know that he was with Seifer in the first place in order for that threat to carry any weight.

'_The pod was damaged on the way down,'_ Laguna thought. '_Even if it did have a tracking signal, there's no way to know if it made it back to Esthar. They might think I'm dead now. And if that's the case, and something happens to me out here, Seifer could just dispose of my body somewhere, and no one would ever find it or know what happened to me.'_

Laguna shivered and pulled the coat he was wearing closer to him. Seifer had given him a spare one of his trademark long grey jackets to wear while they were out. Unfortunately, Seifer was a lot taller and had broader shoulders than him, and as a result, the coat didn't fit him very well. Still, Laguna was grateful to have it, given how bitterly cold the weather was and how little the transport's heating system did to warm the interior.

Thinking about who might be looking for him soon brought Kiros and Ward to mind, and Laguna felt a heavy weight form inside him. He knew that it was highly probable that Esthar had figured out by now that the _Atomos_ was gone, but he wasn't as sure if they would have found out that he managed to escape. He hated to think about how much heartache his friends would go through when they notified about his possible demise.

But then he thought back to when Kiros tracked him down in Winhill after he had fallen into the ocean at Centra. Even though it had taken him over a year, Kiros did not stop until he found him.

'_Kiros hasn't changed all that much over the years,' _he mused. '_Knowing him, he won't be satisfied with a computer readout telling him what happened to the ship. He'll want to find the ship and personally make sure that every escape pod is accounted for. Heck, I doubt that even that will be enough for him.'_

'_No matter what, he won't give up. Not until he finds me.'_

Laguna swallowed hard and sank into his seat. He was confident that Ward would join Kiros in his quest. He found a much needed comfort in the idea that his friends would always be with him in spirit and would work tirelessly to bring him home.

He glanced over at Seifer, who was scowling in frustration while trying to concentrate on the road in front of him. He couldn't help but think about how he had seen a similar expression on Squall's face more than once.

"Were you friends?" Laguna asked him. Seifer startled slightly and had to yank at the wheel to keep him from sliding off the road.

"What?" he asked, clearly irritated.

"You and Squall?" Laguna said. "Were you ever friends? Or were you always enemies?"

"Why?" Seifer replied. "What's it to you?"

"Just curious, I guess," Laguna shrugged. "You mentioned yesterday about how Squall never bothered to find you after the Ultimecia affair. So I was wondering what your relationship with him exactly was. Were you friends or enemies?"

"Both," Seifer said. "And neither."

"You don't know?" Laguna said, tilting his head quizzically.

"I'm saying that it's….complicated," Seifer said, grimacing. That expression was soon replaced by a smirk, and Seifer glanced over at him.

"Or maybe our 'relationship' it's not that complicated after all," he said. "Maybe the truth is we were secretly 'involved' and things were never the same after it was over. Maybe this whole Rinoa thing isn't the kind of triangle you're thinking of. So, does that answer your question?"

"You're lying," Laguna said, glaring at him.

"You mean, you don't believe that it could true?" Seifer said. "Or you know for a fact that it couldn't be true?"

Laguna turned his face away. He was sure that Seifer was purposely antagonizing him again. But the fact that he could not honestly answer Seifer's second question disturbed him. It suddenly occurred to him that he really did not know Squall as well as he tried to convince himself that he did, and it gnawed at him.

Seifer studied him for a second and laughed before turning his attention back onto the road.

"Don't get all bent out of shape, Mister President," he said. "I'm just messing with you…or am I?"

Laguna glared at him again before turning his attention back toward the scenery outside. Seifer laughed again and shook his head.

"Ah, it's too easy with you, you know that?" he said. "Ok, you want the truth? Here it is: I'm saying that words like 'friend' or 'enemy' don't really capture how it was. It's not like we were buddy-buddy with each other, but at least he could figure things out. Unlike a lot of the other idiots at Garden, he understood how things were. And he actually gave a damn about his gunblade training. I thought I was the only one until I realized that Squall was serious about it too. Again, a refreshing change from all those morons who just played around with one 'cause they thought it looked cool."

Seifer wiped his hand against the windshield vigorously, trying to make it a little easier to see.

"What I'm saying is, Squall was one of the few people around who actually made things interesting," he continued. "He didn't just blindly believe and follow everything that people tried to tell him. And that made it more of a challenge when we did face each other."

"So…you were rivals?" Laguna said, looking over at him.

"Rivals?" Seifer echoed. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Obviously, I can't speak for Puberty Boy. Nor would I want to try to imagine what goes on inside his head. But I have a feeling he'd agree with a lot of what I just told you, and that's why he isn't all that interested in finding me these days. He knows that I'm the least of his problems."

Laguna nodded and went back to watching snow rushing by his window. He wasn't sure if he could put too much stock into what Seifer said, but it did make sense to him, especially when he factored in what little he did know about Squall.

His eyes slowly wandered from the snow drifts outside back to the figure behind the wheel. Given what Seifer had told him about growing up in the same orphanage and then at Garden with Squall, Laguna guessed that he and Squall were about the same age. Then he thought about how, when he was around their age, he was just getting started in the Galbadian army for no other reason than a need for something to do while he figured out what exactly it was that he wanted out of life.

'_Still a teenager and yet expected to have all the answers and to always know the right thing to do at all times. That's unrealistic, no matter how you look at it,' _Laguna mused. '_Seifer was a kid when that whole thing with Ultimecia happened, just like Squall. And it looks like he thought he was doing the woman who raised him a favor.'_

'_But…that doesn't explain why Seifer found it so easy to keep going even when he had to have figured out that what he was doing was wrong. Like when he kidnapped Elle….'_

"What did you mean before?" Laguna suddenly asked.

"Don't tell me that I have to explain all of it again?" Seifer sighed, annoyed. "I thought you understood it the first time."

"No, not about any of that," Laguna said. "I mean…you mentioned yesterday that you wouldn't have hurt Elle, and you were about to say why but then you stopped yourself."

"Did you ever stop and think that maybe, just maybe, that means that I don't feel like sharing my reasons with you?" Seifer retorted. "Seriously, are you this nosy with Squall? Because if you are, I don't know how he stands it."

"Did you know Elle at the orphanage?" Laguna asked, ignoring him. "I know she was there with Squall for a while until Edea sent her away on the White SeeD ship. Elle mentioned that Squall didn't remember her at first, but did you?" Seifer sighed and slumped down in his seat for a moment before scowling.

"Fine, if it will get you off my back," he said. "Yes, I knew Ellone at the orphanage, and yes, I remembered her when I finally saw her again. See, unlike Squally, who was using GFs a lot around the time he graduated and became a SeeD, I was only using them occasionally. Plus, when I met up with Matron again, a lot of memories came back to me all at once."

Seifer's scowl softened slightly and Laguna could detect a flicker of a more wistful emotion in the young mercenary's eyes.

"Ellone spent a lot of her time hanging around Squall, saying that he was her little brother," he said. "And of course, Squall followed her around everywhere. But there was a few times when he would actually find something else to do, and Ellone would go down to the beach by herself. She'd stare at the sea and when I asked her what she was doing, she said that she was waiting for her 'Uncle Laguna' to come back for her and Squall."

Seifer snorted and paused. The transport had begun to veer about in the slushy snow erratically, and he worked to correct it before continuing.

"Now I know that she was talking about you," he said. "You know, you really don't have any room to talk to me about how I treated Ellone given how she spent all that time pining away for you. Let me guess, you were too busy in Esthar for her too. You say that you spent all that time looking for her, but it sure seems like you didn't try all that hard."

Laguna looked down at his lap and blinked several times in an effort to keep the tears that had sprung to his eyes hidden. Over these last couple of years, he had spent a lot of time agonizing over how he had abandoned Squall and it occurred to him that Elle had suffered too.

'_I tried, I really did try to find her,' _he told himself. '_But…I'm sure that it might not have seemed that way to Elle. She said she had a mostly happy childhood on that boat…but then she still tried to change the past by sending Squall back to it. So how happy could she have really been with it?'_

'_Did I really try as hard as I thought I did? Or…was I still missing Raine so much that I….?'_

"Anyway, Ellone, she was different from all the other kids," Seifer added. "Yeah she was older, but it wasn't just that. She'd actually listen and pay attention to things. I remember talking to her and for once it's like someone really understood what I was saying and wasn't out to tell me how I was wrong or how I should try to be more like someone else. She…she was just so damn nice. And I don't get why 'cause from what I've heard, she had it even rougher than a lot of us."

"That's just how Elle is," Laguna said softly. "She was that way when I met her too. Raine mentioned that she had always been a sweet child."

"Raine?" Seifer asked. "Was that her mom?"

"No," Laguna said hoarsely. "Elle's parents were killed by Esthar soldiers back when Adel was in charge. Raine took care of her after that."

"Then who was she?" Seifer asked. Laguna didn't reply and it was quiet for almost a minute before a grin appeared on Seifer's face.

"Oh I get it," he said triumphantly. "This Raine…she was Squally's mom. That's why Ellone kept saying that he was her little brother. Yeah, that makes sense. I guess she must have died because Ellone never mentioned her. That's why she and him ended up at the orphanage. Tell me, did Squall take after her? If that's the case, then I can't really blame you for wanting to run away from away from a situation like that."

"Enough!" Laguna roared at him. "Don't you dare say another word about my wife. You hear me?"

Seifer frowned and grunted as he went back to focusing on the road. Laguna took that as a sign that he understood and leaned back in his seat. He hadn't wanted to get so angry. But Raine was destined to always be a sensitive subject with him and Seifer's mocking tone while talking about her was more than he could take.

'_Is he always like this?' _Laguna thought. '_No wonder he wasn't all that liked at Balamb Garden even before the war.'_

'_Still…I wonder what made him so bitter and cynical. Was it the fact that he was an orphan his whole life? Could Squall have turned out this way too? Or was it something else…?'_

Laguna let out a sigh. He knew that it was probably futile to try to understand anything about Seifer Almasy's motives in life, and yet, he couldn't stop himself from trying. He couldn't figure out why, but somewhere at the back of his mind, he theorized that, if he could comprehend Seifer better, he might be able to learn something more about Squall.

And in Laguna's mind, that alone made it a worthwhile endeavor.

* * *

Seifer continued to drive in silence, scanning the road in front of him for monsters or possible obstacles.

He knew that he was getting under Laguna's skin, and normally he enjoyed that kind of thing. But for some reason, when Laguna snapped at him like that, it made Seifer halt in his tracks rather than laugh and press even harder.

'_Didn't think he'd get that mad,' _he mused. '_All the stuff I've heard about him paints him as this really easy-going guy. Oh well, I guess everyone has their sore spots after all. Even him.'_

Seifer frowned and glowered at the road in front of him. Even though he was still focused on what he could get out of this operation, a part of him was starting to wonder if maybe he was starting to go soft himself with the way that he actually cared about upsetting Laguna.

'_It's his fault,' _Seifer fumed inwardly. '_It's just like how you always look and feel like a piece of crap when you kick a doe-eyed puppy around. I'm sure that's how Loire was able to get Squall to spend any time around him. He guilt-tripped him into it.'_

Seifer gripped the wheel tightly and ground his jaw as he struggled to keep the transport from skidding off the road yet again. When they started out this morning, he had hoped that this blizzard would eventually peter out, but instead it seemed to be continuing to intensify.

He silently cursed his bad luck for the next hour while Laguna continued to stare out the window. When he didn't have to work so hard to keep the transport from crashing, Seifer kept glancing over at him. Even though he remembered seeing him on various news broadcasts over the last couple of years, Seifer couldn't shake the feeling that he had first seen Laguna long before that. At first, he chalked it up to the fact that there were some definite facial similarities between Laguna and Squall and that it was just lingering tensions over his rival that were bothering him. But as time went on, Seifer realized that there was something else, something just out of his reach that was nagging at him.

'_I know my memory is still kind of spotty thanks to my still using GFs once in a while, but I'm pretty sure I would have remembered it if I had met Loire before. No…no I'm certain that yesterday was the first time we ran into each other.'_

'_So why does he seem so…familiar? Sort of like when you hear an old song and feel something even though you can't remember anything about the person who made you feel that way in the first place. It's like I knew him and yet I didn't. It doesn't make any sense.'_

"Are you sure that we know where we are?" Laguna suddenly asked, startling him. "Because, honestly, it's all been a white blur to me for the last thirty minutes or so." Seifer made a point of not looking at him until he had regained his composure.

"More or less," Seifer replied. "I had Fujin look at the navigation panel in this thing a couple days ago and she seemed to think it was working, albeit marginally."

"Fujin? Is she your girlfriend?"

"Fu? Nah, she's my partner," Seifer said. "She and my other partner Raijin were sent to Garden after their village was pretty much wiped out by monsters. A little eccentric, but she's also a lot tougher and smarter than most of the messenger girls around there ever were. And Rai, well he's not the sharpest blade out there, that's for sure. But he's strong, can really take a pounding and is as persistent as hell. The three of us run our own private mercenary business."

"I see," Laguna said. "But they're not just your co-workers, are they? They're your friends."

"They're my posse," Seifer said. "We don't always agree on stuff, but I know I can count on them on the battlefield and off it. But I guess a guy like you, who lives a life of politics and privilege, might not be able to understand that."

"No, I understand," Laguna said softly. "I understand completely. Before I was president, I was a soldier in the Galbadian army."

"You're from Galbadia?!" Seifer replied, unable to hide his shock. "Then how the hell did you end up becoming the president of Esthar?"

"It's a long story," Laguna said. "Want to hear it?"

"Probably not," Seifer scoffed.

"I figured as much," Laguna said with a shrug. "Anyway, I was saying that I understand because I have a pair of friends like that myself. We served together and we were always there for each other."

"You still meet up with these friends of yours?" Seifer said, genuinely curious. "Or did that all change after you became president?"

"Actually, they're my advisors within the Estharian government," Laguna said. "I guess you could say that I still have my 'posse' around me to this day."

"So you promoted your buddies after taking over Esthar," Seifer said. "Yeah, I can see that. I'd probably do the same thing if I got to be president."

"I didn't just do it out of favoritism," Laguna insisted. "They work hard to help me run things. Trust me, they've earned their positions with all the stuff they've done over the years."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Seifer said. "You don't have to justify yourself to me. Given all of phonies and crooks I saw in Galbadia's government during the war, I can totally understand why you'd want people around who you can trust to not stab you in the back. So…you think these friends of yours are looking for you?"

"I know they are," Laguna said without hesitation.

"They're not going to go all ballistic if they happen to see me with you, are they?"

"Well Ward will probably wonder what is going on, but he'll adjust quickly enough," Laguna said. "However, I don't think I can say the same for Kiros. Mind you, most of the time he's pretty laid back and open-minded. But he's also sort of like my bodyguard, so he tends to get really intense when he thinks I'm being threatened in any way. Also, you should know that he's the one who investigated you when we were deciding if we were going to issue a warrant of our own against you for crimes committed against Esthar."

"And so I take it that he's not my biggest fan," Seifer smirked. "Right, got it. Then I'll just have to make sure that I'm long gone before they show up. Not a problem."

"What about your friends?" Laguna asked. "Won't they wonder where you are?"

"I made sure to leave them a note before we left," Seifer said. "I'll explain the rest of it to them when I catch up with them."

"That's good," Laguna yawned. "You shouldn't worry your friends that way."

Seifer noted the worn-out tone in Laguna's voice, and when he looked over at him, he saw Laguna's eyelids start to droop.

"Hey," Seifer said, reaching over to nudge him. "You're not passing out on me, are you?"

"No, no," Laguna said. "It's not that. It's just…I wasn't able to get a lot of sleep last night, so I guess I'm kind of drowsy. Sorry. I know I should be helping you watch the road. I'll try harder to…."

"Forget it," Seifer interrupted. "Go ahead and sleep if you're tired."

"Are you sure?" Laguna asked him.

"Why not? It's not like you were helping me all that much in the first place," Seifer said. "Besides, you're the one who's still getting over having your head scrambled in a crash. So go on and take a nap. I could use the peace and quiet for a change."

"Thank you," Laguna said as he let his eyes slide shut. Seconds later, his breathing became slow and regular, and Seifer knew that he had fallen asleep. He started to reach over to adjust Laguna's coat so that he would be warmer, but stopped himself at the last minute.

'_What in the hell is wrong with me?' _he asked himself. '_Since when did I start coddling people like this? He's supposed to be the president of Esthar for Hyne's sake. He can take care of himself.'_

Seifer shook his head, hit the button to activate the windshield wipers and snarled when they stopped working after about ten seconds. He couldn't figure out what it was about Laguna that was having this effect on him, but Seifer was sure that he didn't like it.

'_I wonder if Squall has this problem too. Knowing him, probably so. I always knew that Squally was a sap at heart…That aside, I need to get this guy to Balamb pronto so that things can go back to normal.'_

Still, something inside Seifer told him that it probably wasn't going to be that easy. But then again, he had learned a long time ago that things rarely are that simple.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Next chapter. It looks like I am going to keep this one at eight chapters...although they will be a _long_ set of chapters. :) Also, I apologize for not getting another chapter of _Fractures_ out this week. I'm about a third of the way through the latest chapter, but it is just not wanting to be written. *grrrrr* Hopefully, I'll overcome that some time this weekend.

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this. It is always appreciated. :)

**Radish: **Thank you for your review and your comments on my FFVIII as a whole. :) When I started writing this fic, I was a little nervous about getting Seifer right and keeping Laguna in character while interacting with him. So I am glad that you are enjoying my portrayals. And to answer your question: no, this one is _not_ related to any of my other FFVIII fics and does stand alone. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of this fic. :)

Chapter Four

Back in Esthar, Ward stood at the back of the the main monitoring center for the Palace watching the technicians mill around him silently.

It had now been two days since the _Atomos_ had disappeared along with her passengers and crew during its return trip from Dollet. They had been able to triangulate its last position as being over the ocean near Trabia and had confirmed that the president's escape pod had ejected/ But they still were no closer to finding the wreckage or figuring out where in Trabia the pod might have landed.

Or if it had even been able to make landfall.

Rescue teams were currently on standby and a pair of ships was sent to search for any sign of the Atomos or the pod. Unfortunately, the ocean was particularly deep in that area of the world which would make recovery problematic. Plus, the dense forests throughout Trabia could easily conceal the pod if it had landed in those areas. It was quickly becoming apparent that a land search would be necessary in order to see if the pod had landed safely. But that came with its own perils including a seasonally active monster population and blizzard conditions.

The one thing that no one brought up but was certain to be on everyone's mind was the idea that Laguna would probably not last very long in the wilds of Trabia even if he had survived the crash. Thus, no matter how one looked at it, the chances of finding him alive were remote at best.

Ward let out a sigh and shook his head. Thoughts like these had run through his mind many times over the last two days. He wanted desperately to believe that Laguna was still alive, but he was aware that they might have to face the idea that he was dead. Then they would be faced with a recovery mission.

And a funeral.

He then looked over at one of the consoles at the front of the room and saw Kiros slumped over it. While Ward had taken breaks to rest for a couple hours every once in a while he was pretty sure that Kiros had not stopped working this entire time. Mara had stopped by a few times to check on her husband and to encourage him to get some rest, but was met with a loving, but firm refusal from Kiros to abandon his duties for even a moment.

Ward walked over to Kiros and placed a hand on his shoulder, startling Kiros and causing him to yawn and lean back in his chair.

"_You should take a break," _Ward communicated to him. "_The techs are still working on the signal from the pod and the ships are in the middle of another sweep over Trabia. There's nothing for you to do right now."_

"Not unless count piecing together the possible trajectories of the _Atomos_ and the pod as a useless chore," Kiros scowled at him.

"_You could get someone else to work on that while you rest."_

"Everyone else is busy with their own tasks," Kiros snapped. "But this still needs to be done. If we can figure out the most likely paths that the pod could have taken, we'll be able to refine our search and find Laguna even faster."

Kiros' head drooped and he rubbed his eyes. Ward could see the sweat glistening on Kiros' forehead along with the dark circles under his eyes and could actually feel the heat coming off his friend's body. His fever was returning.

"_Kiros, listen to me," _Ward told him. "_You've been out of it more than once these last couple of hours and you look like hell. You need to get some rest soon or you're going to collapse."_

Kiros stopped rubbing his eyes and let his face rest in his palm for a moment before looking up at Ward.

"Ward, I'm fine," he said. "I may be tired, but I can still work. But more importantly, I can always rest later when this is over. Whereas Laguna…he doesn't have the luxury of time right now. That's why I need to find him as soon as possible. Every moment we wait diminishes our chances of rescuing him in time."

"_Kiros…I know that you don't want to hear this…."_

"Then don't say it," Kiros interrupted, his scowl returning. "Laguna is _alive,_ Ward. And until I see his body with my own eyes, I refuse to believe anything else. So that is why I need to keep working, all right?"

Suddenly Kiros' expression softened and looked down at the floor, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry Ward," he said somberly. "I…I don't know if you can believe this, but…. There just isn't any way that Laguna could be dead. I'm not sure if I can explain it with words, but it's as if I can still sense his life force in this world. It's an intuition in my blood. I know that seems weird, but all I can say is that I would know if he were gone." Kiros looked up at his giant friend, his eyes pleading. "Do you understand?"

Ward patted his shoulder and nodded. He knew that both Kiros and Laguna placed a great deal of faith into mystical or supernatural forces. While Ward wasn't as sure what his own stance was on this, he couldn't deny that there seemed to be some kind of link that connected Kiros to Laguna. That bond had grown exponentially over the years, tying not only their families together, but their spirits as well. Thus, it actually did not surprise him all that much to think that Kiros could sense something like this, especially when he thought about times in the past when Kiros would search for him. Even when the odds were stacked against Laguna surviving the predicament of the moment, Kiros always seemed to be able to find him. Ward figured that maybe it was the faeries after all.

There was, however, one other thing that had been bothering Ward for a while and he figured now was as good as a time as any to bring it up.

"_Kiros…what about Squall? Should we wait until know something for sure?"_Kiros frowned and looked back up at him.

"No," he replied. "If we're going to start a ground search, we're going to need all the help we can get, and that includes Trabia Garden. And once we ask for their assistance, Balamb Garden is sure to be notified about the situation. No, if Squall is going to know, it should come from us. That's what Laguna would want."

Kiros stretched his arms and then stood up from his chair.

"Ward, have Garv contact our ships and tell them to come back to Esthar so we can begin to mobilize a ground search," he said. "As soon as they are back, get a hold of Trabia Garden and request their help in the search. In the meantime, I will let Squall know about this and will continue working on formulating a search pattern. If anyone needs me for anything, I'll be in my office."

Ward nodded and watched as Kiros exited into the hallway. Once he was gone, Ward shook his head again and went to look for Garv.

He agreed with Kiros that they should work for now under the assumption that Laguna was still alive. He just hoped that their assumptions wouldn't turn out to be wrong.

* * *

"When I get my hands on that moron Raijin again, I'm going to wring his neck," Seifer growled as grimaced at the sight in front of him.

It had been several hours since Seifer and Laguna had set out for the shipping village in the southern tip of Sorbald. The snow and winds were finally starting to die down, and Seifer had planned on stopping soon to find a good place to set up a shelter so they could rest before continuing on in the morning.

What he hadn't planned on was the transport suddenly spluttering to a stop and the engine starting to smoke.

As soon as the transport quit moving, Seifer and Laguna jumped out and popped open the hood and studied the instruments inside for a couple minutes.

"Looks like the engine is pretty much dead," Seifer said, waving a hand back and forth to clear away the last of the smoke.

"There's no way to fix it?" Laguna asked.

"Hyne, I don't know," Seifer said, flinging his hands upward. "I only know the basics of how to take care of these things. Raijin's the mechanical expert. Hard to believe, I know."

"Wait!" Laguna said. "I've got an idea."

"What?" Seifer asked as he watched Laguna reach into the back seat and pull out a toolbox.

"I had an old junker that was a lot like this back when I lived in Winhill," Laguna said as fished out a couple tools. "It used to stall all the time too. But if I remember right, I knew a way to get it going long enough to drive it over to the next town so I could get it repaired. Mind if I try something?"

"Go ahead," Seifer shrugged. "Can't hurt to try."

Laguna nodded and leaned under the hood. He wrenched at bolts and tapped gears while muttering to himself for several minutes. Eventually, he lifted his head and moved out from under the hood before slamming it down and wiping his hands together.

"Ok, that should do it," Laguna said. "Go ahead and try it."

Seifer nodded and climbed back into the car. He turned the key in the ignition and the engine coughed and rumbled.

"Hey, I think it's working," Laguna shouted at him. "Give it a little more gas."

Seifer pressed his foot down onto the accelerator for only a second before there was a loud bang and pieces of the engine began to fly out in all directions. Seifer ducked down onto the floor in front of the seats while Laguna scurried behind a boulder close by. The transport continued to spit out chunks of metal for a few seconds more until the hood flew off its hinges and landed several feet away. Then the noise died down and the transport stopped moving and became silent.

Seifer and Laguna stayed where they were for another minute before cautiously moving out of their respective hiding spots and approaching the front of the transport which was a smoking hunk of gnarled metal by this point.

"Hmmm, I wonder why that happened," Laguna said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh wait…I've got it now."

"You've got what now?" Seifer scowled at him.

"I remember that this happened the last time I tried to fix that old clunker too," Laguna said. "And then Kiros told me that I was supposed to turn that one gear right instead of left. I totally forgot about that."

"I suppose now you remember how to fix it?" Seifer said.

"Yeah, but um, unfortunately, that's not going to work now," Laguna said, scratching the side of his head. "It's completely trashed. Man, and here I thought for sure that I had it. Oh well, it's like they say. You can't make an omelet without breaking into a henhouse."

Seifer glowered at him for a long moment and wondered if being wanted for the assassination of a world leader could be any worse than any of the other charges that were pending on him. Fortunately, sanity was quick to return and he managed to take out his frustrations by kicking the driver's side door a couple times inside of punting a president across the snowfield.

'_Ok, did anyone even bother to run a DNA test on those two?' _Seifer fumed to himself. '_Because right now, I'm having a very hard time believing that this guy could be possibly be even distantly related to Squall. Puberty Boy should be thanking Hyne every single day that he did not inherit any idiocy genes.'_

"So what do we do now?" Laguna asked. Seifer resisted the urge to share a few ideas of his own that suddenly popped into his head and snarled, yanking the back door open.

"We walk," he said. "Make yourself useful and carry some of these supplies."

Seifer tossed a large duffel bag toward Laguna, who stumbled back a step as he caught it. Then he pulled out another bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"It's only a few more miles to the village," Seifer said. "We should be able to reach in about a day or so on foot. But right now, we need to find somewhere to camp out for the night. The monsters will be out in full force soon, and I for one don't feel like becoming a Snow Lion snack."

Laguna nodded and hoisted the straps of the bag onto his shoulders. Then he pulled the coat closer to him and followed Seifer as he walked along the trail.

"Stay close to me," Seifer said, looking over his shoulder at him. "And know that if you fall behind, I won't be responsible for what happens to you."

"I understand," Laguna said gravely. "I'll try to not slow you down."

"Good," Seifer said. "Now, let's get going."

Seifer turned his face back to the trail ahead of him and frowned. He was pretty sure that there were some caves along the mountain sides in this area and that they weren't very far from where they were now. He turned his collar up against the wind and trudged along while making sure to listen for the sound of Laguna's footsteps crunching through the snow behind him.

* * *

Less than twenty minutes later, they made camp inside a cave that was located in an alcove of a mountain pass. Laguna worked to find dry wood to feed a fire while Seifer set up a pair of tents in the center of the cave.

"Two tents?" Laguna said as he carried a pile of twigs to their campsite. "Why two? I figured you'd just set up one and save the extras in case we have to wait out another blizzard."

"That _was_ the plan," Seifer sighed. "And then I let you take a nap in the car and had to listen to you snore for almost ten miles. Quite frankly, I'm amazed that you didn't shatter a window with that noise. Maybe it doesn't mean all that much to you, but I'd like to get some sleep tonight and that ain't happening if I have to share a tent with you."

"Fair enough," Laguna said. "Do you want me to make dinner?"

"No way, I'll do it," Seifer said.

"Are you sure? You've already had to put up the tents. I figure I should do something more to help."

"After what you did to the transport, I'm not trusting you with anything more mechanically complex than a spoon," Seifer said. "You just tend to the fire and I'll get us something to eat."

"Will do," Laguna said. He said down onto the dirt and slowly fed sticks into the blaze Seifer had started with a fire spell.

Seifer fished a couple cans of soup out of one of the bags. A couple minutes later, he was stirring a large ladle around a pot, waiting for their supper to warm. While he waited, Seifer continued to steal glances at Laguna. He hadn't been able to shake the feeling that they had met once before and it was starting to aggravate him that he couldn't remember.

Once the soup was done, he scooped it out into a pair of bowls, and he and Laguna ate in silence for about a minute before Seifer spoke.

"Where did you look?" Seifer asked him. "For Ellone? You said you spent years looking for her. So where did you go?" Laguna raised an eyebrow and gulped down the soup in his mouth.

"Mostly orphanages," he answered. "The people in Winhill…they didn't care for me very much and they wouldn't tell me where they had sent Elle. Just that she had been sent to an orphanage."

"Did you happen to stop by one at the edge of Centra?" Seifer asked, blowing the steam away from his bowl. "A stone building with a lighthouse?"

"You mean, the one Cid and Edea ran?" Laguna nodded. "Yeah, I went there, but by the time I arrived, Edea had already sent Elle away on a boat, and she wouldn't tell me where she was. Why?"

"Nothing," Seifer said. "I just…I keep thinking I've seen you before. Not as president or any of that. I mean before, when I was a kid. It must have been when you stopped by there to find her."

Laguna nodded and they went back to eating. Seifer finished what was in his bowl and stared at the fire while Laguna cleaned up. Even though he now had a plausible reason for this nagging sense of familiarity, he still felt like he was missing something. If there was one thing Seifer hated, it was feelings of uncertainty and he decided to try to find something to distract him.

"Hey, you said you went to Matron's orphanage," Seifer said. "Why didn't you take Squall with you? He was there too, you know?"

"Actually, I didn't," Laguna sighed as he sat down across from Seifer, huddling near the fire. "You see, Adel was looking for girls with special powers, and so Esthar soldiers kidnapped her and took her to Odine's labs. I left Winhill to find Elle and traveled the world while writing articles and acting in movies to get by. When I left, I didn't know that Raine was pregnant. I found Elle and sent her back to Winhill while I finished things up in Esthar, but Raine, she…she ended up…. " Laguna looked away, his eyes becoming wet. "Anyway, after that, they sent Squall away with Elle, and they didn't tell me about him when I finally did come back to Winhill."

"You mean, you didn't even know you had a kid?" Seifer said, surprised. Laguna looked down at the base of the fire, and Seifer could see an old sadness in his eyes.

"No," Laguna mumbled. "I didn't find out until I met up with Elle again recently. Then she told me the truth."

"And you suddenly became a father, huh?" Seifer said. "That's pretty messed up. I guess you weren't kidding about those people not liking you. So um…what if you _had_ known?"

"What do you mean?" Laguna said, glancing over at him.

"You know, if you had known about Squally back then," Seifer said. "Would you have taken him with you?"

"Of course, I would have," Laguna said insistent.

"Why?"

"Why?" Laguna repeated, seemingly puzzled by the question. "Because he's my son."

"That's it?" Seifer said, incredulous. "That's your reason?"

"Yes," Laguna said. "What other reason is there?"

"Oh I don't know," Seifer huffed, leaning back. "How about because you wanted to be a father? Or because you felt responsible? Or because it was your wife's dying wish or something? I mean, didn't you have a country to run by that point? Are you sure that you would have wanted to be saddled with a kid?"

"Squall is my son, Seifer," Laguna said firmly. "Not some burden for me to bear. It's true that I had responsibilities in Esthar, but I would have been more than willing to make being a father just as much of a priority as being president. Even more so."

"You know, it's easy to say that now," Seifer scoffed. "But I wonder if you would have been so confident of your answer if you had actually met Squally that day at the orphanage and knew who he was. Maybe all that responsibility would have hit you like a punch to the face and you might have changed your mind. Are you telling me that you wouldn't have been even a little bit tempted to turn around and walk away?"

"I know that you might not believe me, but the answer is still no," Laguna said, making sure to look Seifer in the eye. "I wouldn't have left him. Not if I had known."

Seifer watched Laguna stare at him for a moment before getting up and turning away.

"I'm tired," he said. "And we're looking at a long day tomorrow. So I'm going to bed. Make sure you do the same here soon, 'cause there ain't going to be any time for naps tomorrow while we're trekking across that snowfield. Understand?"

"Understood," Laguna said, turning his gaze back to the fire. "Good night, Seifer."

Seifer grunted and ducked down into his tent. He grabbed a pillow and blanket set out of the corner and rolled out one of the mattresses. The tents were equipped to house three people and could withstand most terrains and weather. Once a person was finished using it, one simply had to push a button which started a chain reaction that would dissolve the tents and their contents into bio-compatible mulch. They were an efficient, practical tool for traveling.

But right now, Seifer was more concerned with finding a way to stop his mind from thinking about things he wished he could forget about than about getting a good night's sleep. Thus, it was almost an hour before he was able to fall into a restless sleep.

* * *

Several hours later, Seifer awoke from a fragmented dream to near darkness and rubbed his face. He tried to remember what he was dreaming about, but soon decided that it was probably for the best that he forgot.

He was about to close his eyes again when the faint sound of crying caught his attention.

'_The hell? What's going on?'_

Seifer tossed his blankets aside and climbed out of his tent. There, he saw Laguna, who had wrapped himself in a blanket, sitting near the mouth of the cave, looking up at the sky. Seifer could tell by the way that Laguna's shoulders were shuddering that he was the source of the weeping he had heard.

'_What's the deal here? Why is he bawling like that?'_

Seifer frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. Laguna hadn't seemed like the weak, sniveling type, so he was confused as to what could have him this upset. For a second, he thought about going back to bed and ignoring him, but something inside him stopped him at the last moment.

"Hey," Seifer called out. "What are you doing? I thought I told you to get some sleep." Laguna wiped at his eyes furiously and swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry," Laguna mumbled. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," Seifer said. "But seriously, what is all this? Are you scared that you aren't going to make it home or something? I said that I'd get you back in one piece, and I meant it."

"No, no," Laguna said, shaking his head. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"It's just…I was thinking about the _Atomos_," Laguna said. "That was the ship I was on. You know the one that crashed."

"What about it?" Seifer asked, moving to lean against the cave wall.

"I…I keep thinking about the other people who were on it," Laguna continued. "We were flying over the ocean, and mine was the only escape pod that would be able to make it to land."

"So the rest of them probably didn't make it," Seifer nodded. "Those people, did you know them?"

"Yes," Laguna said. "Well...I mean, I knew them but not personally. They were soldiers who protected the Palace and some of the council assistants."

"So, basically some co-workers you knew by name and could say 'hi' to in the hallways," Seifer said. "So again, what's the problem here? Are you telling me you're sitting here crying over a bunch of drones you barely knew?"

"They weren't drones, Seifer," Laguna replied. "They were people. They had lives and families of their own. And now they're gone while I'm still here. They…they gave up their lives for mine, and I…."

Laguna's words trailed off and he went back to looking at the sky while Seifer watched him with a look of disbelief on his face.

'_Is this guy for real? He's the president and he doesn't understand why those people were willing to die so he could live? Hasn't this happened to him before? I'm sure it has. So, is this how he reacts every time?'_

Seifer huffed and shifted his position. During the Sorceress War, he had had a chance to meet more than one world leader, and he was certain that none of them would have shed a single tear if some underling had gotten killed while trying to protect them. The fact that Laguna actually seemed to care so much about the people who worked for him was a genuine shock to Seifer, who hadn't expected someone in such a powerful position of authority to have such a tender heart.

Still, for reasons he couldn't quite figure out, the sight of Laguna's tears bothered him, and Seifer decided to try to put an end to this.

"Listen," he said. "You said that those people were soldiers and people who worked for the government, right? Then you should know that one of the most important things to them would have been Esthar and ensuring its security. And amazingly enough, that includes keeping you safe so you can lead it."

"But those people, they died so…."

"Look, don't you get it?" Seifer cut in. "They didn't just die for you, all right? What I mean is, it wasn't just about you personally. Maybe they liked you or thought you were a fun guy or something. But what it boils down to is that they were thinking about the good of Esthar, not just the wellbeing of Laguna Loire. It's what you are as a president that they were willing to sacrifice for. So stop acting like it's all about you and just be glad that you have citizens who are so fiercely loyal to their homeland. If you want to do them a favor, just keep on doing whatever it is that you do to make Esthar so prosperous."

Seifer huffed again and stepped away from the cave entrance. It was too cold to stay out here without a fire, but he wasn't in the mood to start another one. He was about to go back to his tent when a sound from Laguna made him pause.

"Is that how it was for you?" Laguna said. Seifer whirled around and saw that Laguna was facing him.

"What are you talking about?" he grumbled.

"When you were at Garden, learning to be a SeeD," Laguna added. "Were you putting your life on the line for the missions and the causes you were fighting for instead of the clients?"

"I don't know if I'd quite put it like that seeing as how I was learning to be a paid mercenary," Seifer said. "But I suppose in a way, you're right. Our first loyalty was supposed to be to Garden, and Garden needed us to do these jobs in order to survive. Sometimes, SeeDs got killed, but that is just how it is in our world. It's not like they were sacrificing themselves for their clients. They were just the ones who paid the bills."

"Do you think that's how it is for Squall?" Laguna asked.

"Maybe," Seifer shrugged. "I mean, I'm sure that's a big part of it, but I'm also pretty sure that Squall has other things motivating him too. And as to what they are…well that's up to you to figure out 'cause I have no idea."

"What about you?" Laguna asked. "You said that your loyalty was _supposed_ to be to Garden, and yet you broke away from everything you grew up with."

"Let's just say that I had other dreams that ended up being more important to me," Seifer replied. "And in the end, me and Garden were just never meant to be."

"Other dreams," Laguna echoed. "Like what?"

"Like…well, like….Wait, why the hell am I telling you this?" Seifer scowled. "Look, I'm going back to bed. And you better do the same because we're getting up early tomorrow, so don't expect to sleep in."

"All right," Laguna said as he got to his feet. "I'll try to get some more sleep."

"Good," Seifer said. "Now, shut up and leave me alone."

Seifer stormed off to his tent and nearly jumped inside, desperate to get away from Laguna. He wasn't sure what it was, but something about the man made it all too easy to just open up and pour out everything inside his heart and mind…and that disturbed Seifer greatly.

'_Tomorrow, I'm just going to keep my mouth shut and make him do the same,' _he told himself. '_'Cause there's no telling what he'll have me saying next if I let him keep talking to me.'_

Plans made, Seifer shut his eyes and draped an arm over his face. Right now, a large part of him was determined to follow through with this idea

But another part of him also wondered if his resolve would continue to last.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Next chapter. This will be a bit of a long one, but it will also probably be the only update for this fic this week. So I hope my readers enjoy it. :)

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this. It is always appreciated. :)

Chapter Five

"_Seifer Almasy, what are you doing?"_

_An eleven year old Seifer glanced over at the stern looking man at the edge of the room. Seifer smirked at him and lowered the gunblade in his hand._

"_What's it look like, Instructor?" Seifer smirked at him. "I'm practicing." The man, a SeeD who now spent most of his time at Garden training the students in the use of various weapons, walked over to him._

"_I showed you yesterday the proper way to wield a gunblade," the man said. "And yet you continue to use that ridiculous stance. Waving it about in one hand, swaying back and forth…."_

"_What's wrong with my style?" Seifer demanded._

"_For one thing, gunblades are heavy," the instructor responded. "You need an extraordinary amount of arm strength to wield it effectively with just one hand."_

"_So?" Seifer snorted. "I'll just make sure to build up my muscles."_

"_And that side stance you're using destabilizes you," the man continued. "You're leaving yourself open."_

"_Shows how much you know," Seifer scoffed. "It's also a fact that my stance makes it harder for my opponent to hit me 'cause it gives them a narrower target. That's why it's used in traditional sword dueling arts like fencing."_

"_That may be, but you are not using a foil or a saber," the man said, frowning. "A gunblade is a far different sort of weapon."_

"_Don't I know it?" Seifer said, his smirk growing. "Half the people around here don't have a clue how use one. And the other half are too scared to try."_

"_You act as if you already were an expert," the man said. "But the fact remains that that will never happen as long as you stubbornly cling to your flashy techniques."_

_Seifer scowled at him, his hands balling up into fists while the instructor shook his head and walked away._

"_I give up," the man said as he left the room. "Go ahead and do things your way, Almasy. Once you see the folly of your methods and are forced to move on to another weapon, you'll understand why you should have heeded my warnings."_

_The instructor exited the training room and Seifer swished his gunblade in the air several times before lowering it while panting in exhaustion and frustration._

'_Just you wait,' he silently fumed. 'I'll show you. I'll show all of you. I'm going to be the best gunblade specialist in all of Garden. I don't care how hard it is or how much I have to train. And I will do it this way…my way….'_

_Seifer held his gunblade aloft and pointed it at a nearby window, the tip aimed at the sky._

'_And then, one day…one day I will be just like him. And then, my dream will finally come true….'_

* * *

Seifer woke up with a start and shoved his pillow and blankets aside. He touched his forehead and frowned at the sheen of sweat that had formed there.

After choosing to continue to cut down on his GF usage for so long, one side effect Seifer was still adjusting to was the influx of memories that were gradually returning to him. Often, they would suddenly pop into his head in the middle of a daydream or when he was bored. But sometimes they would come back to him while he was sleeping and appear as dreams. For some reason, even when they were mostly benign, like this one had been, they created a strange, anxious feeling inside of him that lingered after he woke up.

Seifer wiped his forehead and leaned forward, his frown deepening. While he did not see dreams as being anything magical or mystical, he had learned that memories that came back to him in dreams were not random events. Often, there was some reason why his mind would free those wayward thoughts from forgetfulness. Usually, it was something simple and easy to explain like eating a food that he hadn't for a long time or going to a place that he had seen in the past which would act as triggers for these recollections.

This time, however, Seifer could not think of any reason why he would suddenly recall this particular memory. Even more irritating was the fact that it wasn't something he actually enjoyed remembering. Thoughts of Garden were often bittersweet and this memory brought back a host of other feelings he wished he could forget: the frustration he felt as he worked to improve his skills, the anger he experienced as his instructors laughed at and patronized him for stubbornly holding onto his "unique" fighting style, and the annoyance he dealt with when listening to the other students whine and complain about how difficult using a gunblade was.

In the end though, Seifer was able to console himself with the fact that, he did indeed become one of the best gunblade specialists at Balamb Garden. Even instructors would often lose in duels against him and his unorthodox style ended up being a strength rather than a weakness. In fact, the only person keeping him from being _the_ best was Squall Leonhart, and that was as invigorating as it was aggravating. Every great swordsman needed a worthy opponent, and Squall fit that role nicely. Of all the things he missed from his life at Balamb Garden, the chance to duel with Squall when he felt like it was high on his list.

Seifer smirked for a moment, but the smirk quickly faded away. He thought again about the very last moment of his dream, that moment of determination when he swore to become the best gunblade specialist, and suddenly remembered that there had been a very definite reason why he had this goal.

'_I was…trying to be like someone. Someone I knew as a kid. Someone I actually looked up to and admired.'_

'_But I….'_

Seifer scowled again and punched at his pillows. He realized now that his decision to adopt his distinctive fighting style had not been by accident or caprice. It was what seemed like the "right" way to use a gunblade and that was because he was modeling himself after someone else who he had seen using one. What was frustrating him, however, was the fact that he couldn't remember who had affected him so much. The only thing he knew for sure was that the same person who had influenced his fighting style had also planted the seed of his dreams to be a sorceress' knight, someone worthy of a legend.

Still, Seifer knew that his frustration over trying to remember more about that was far better than the other intrusive thoughts and feelings that came into his brain whenever he thought about his childhood and about potential role models. Recently, another set of memories had come back to him from when he was still at the orphanage—some of which he wished he could have forgotten forever—thoughts of long lost family and hopes that were smashed into a thousand pieces in an instant.

Those memories were part of the reason why he had used GFs a bit more often recently. The memory blocking effect was often enough to dull the pain those memories brought forth by making them more vague and indistinct from other random images in his head. However, it was still not enough to make him forget completely, and he soon came to the conclusion that part of the reason why they were so prominent now was because of Laguna and the way he was so devoted to his own recently discovered family.

No longer wishing to dwell on this line of thought, Seifer grabbed his clothes and swiftly dressed before stepping out of the tent and activating its disintegration. He walked over to the other tent and peeked inside.

There he found Laguna still asleep and sprawled out over his roll down mattress. His limbs were hanging out from under the sheets and he kept mumbling something about catching a chocobo to get his friend Ward's harpoon back.

'_At least he isn't snoring for a change,' _Seifer thought. Then he thought about kicking at the mattress to wake him up, but suddenly changed his mind and walked away instead.

'_Might as well take advantage of the relative peace and quiet for now,' _he told himself. '_And this will give me a chance to make breakfast and ensure that I don't get food poisoning from eating that moron's cooking. I'll just wake him up when the food is ready.'_

Satisfied that he had come up with a valid excuse to let Laguna sleep, Seifer knelt down and chanted another fire spell while making sure to ignore the nagging voice inside him that told him that he was getting progressively softer.

* * *

After a quick meal of hot cereal and eggs, Laguna and Seifer, gathered up their supplies and continued their hike across Sorbald. It had finally stopped snowing and the sun was out, but the previous blizzards had piled up the snow which made walking slow and difficult. Plus, Gaylas and Bite Bugs kept popping up randomly and while Seifer was able to quickly dispose of them, it added an even greater drag on their progress.

By noon, Seifer was ready to take a break, and they paused on the edge of a small forest. At this rate, he figured that they might have to spend another night outdoors and that possibility only served to worsen his mood.

At one point, he looked over at Laguna, who was sitting on the edge of a flat rock, shivering slightly and staring at the snow around him. So far, Laguna had managed to keep up with him, and Seifer had to admit that he was impressed with the older man's stamina.

'_He did say that he was in the military at one point,' _he mused. '_Frankly, I don't see this guy being much of a soldier, but I guess some of those habits, like keeping himself in fighting shape, are still with him.'_

"How much farther?" Laguna asked him.

"You've seen the map," Seifer replied. "You should know the answer to that." Laguna scratched the side of his head.

"Um yeah, I'm not that great with maps," he said. "Which is funny because when I was in the army it seemed like I was always the one who was assigned with guiding the rest of the troop. I don't know why, maybe because I made Commander. Kiros will tell you that we ended up taking the 'scenic route' a lot while we were on patrols. I remember this one time, we were supposed to be checking out this area near Obel Lake and instead we…."

"Wait, you were a Commander in the Galbadian army and you couldn't read a map?" Seifer interrupted. "How does that even happen? No, on second thought, don't tell me. I really don't want to know. And to answer your question, not too much farther. If we pick up the pace and are lucky enough to avoid the monsters, we could be there by evening."

"That's good," Laguna said. "I need to get a hold of Kiros and Ward as soon as I can so they'll stop worrying. And I probably should try to contact Squall. He might be concerned too."

Laguna looked away as he said that last part and Seifer raised his eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" he said. "You think Squally won't be happy to hear from you?" Laguna smiled slightly and let out a short laugh.

"To be honest, I'm not sure if he'll care," Laguna said. "Granted, I don't think he wants me dead or anything like that. At least not these days. But I'm not entirely sure if he would mind it if I didn't ever contact him again. Oh sure, he's civil with me and all, but he certainly wasn't thrilled when he found out that I'm his father and I…I don't know if he'll ever forgive me for abandoning him."

"I thought you said that you didn't know about him until just recently," Seifer said. "Or was that a lie?"

"No, no I really didn't know until Elle told me at the Lunar Base during the War," Laguna said.

"Does he know that?" Seifer asked.

"Yes," Laguna answered. "I told him everything, including when I found out myself. But I…."

"Look," Seifer said, cutting him off. "If Squall knows all this, he'll come around. Maybe not today or tomorrow or any time soon, but it will happen. Sure, he'll be furious at you for a while. I know I would be if I were him. But he's no idiot. Eventually, his brain will remind him that he didn't have a family growing up and he'll figure out that you're actually trying to be his dad. Trust me, that means a hell of a lot to someone who spent most of his life thinking that he was an orphan."

"Like you?" Laguna asked him.

"Like me what?"

"It was the same for you growing up as it was for Squall, wasn't it?" Laguna added. "Would you have forgiven your father if he had lived and then suddenly showed up in your life? Would it have meant something to you if he had tried his best to make amends?"

"I don't know," Seifer said. "Probably. I do know that I was thinking about giving it a try when he…."

Seifer suddenly stopped himself. He hadn't meant to let that part slip, and he was hoping that Laguna would be his usual oblivious self and not notice it. But then again, Seifer Almasy knew that he was rarely that lucky.

"When he who?" Laguna asked, leaning toward him. "Who are you…? Oh…. Seifer I….Your father…he's not dead, is he?" Seifer frowned and turned away from him.

"Who knows? He may be by now," he said.

"Did you ever….?"

"Did I ever meet him?" Seifer said. "Yes and no. I…."

Seifer ran a hand over his face. He didn't really want to talk about this, but something inside compelled him to finally let out what had been plaguing him these last couple of months after the memory came back to him. It didn't help that Laguna seemed to have this uncanny ability to draw people in and make them comfortable with sharing with him.

"It was shortly before they sent me to live at Garden," Seifer continued. "One day, a man came by to the orphanage, and he was asking Matron about any kids who were found around a village just a few miles from Balamb. Well, that's where they found me. Apparently, my mother died from injuries she got while trying to cross the Alcauld Plains, and the locals sent me off to Matron's orphanage."

Seifer smirked and let out a bitter laugh as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Oh and don't bother with feeling sorry for her," he added. "I did a little investigating of my own years later and it turns out that she had planned to sell me to some guy who wanted someone he could raise as his apprentice for his business. Guess she decided that money was better than another mouth to feed. That all fell through when she died and he suddenly changed his mind. So I ended up going to an orphanage instead."

Seifer leaned back and popped some of the joints in his back before continuing.

"Anyway, I didn't know any of that back then," he said. "But after Matron told him what she knew this guy started acting all nervous, saying something about 'responsibility' and 'doing the right thing' and all that. If you hadn't figured it out by now, I was watching this from a corner of the room where they couldn't see me. But curiosity won out in the end, and I walked up to Matron and asked her who he was and what was going on."

"And you think that he was your father," Laguna said softly.

"He didn't say it," Seifer replied. "But yeah, I know that's who he was. Same blond hair, same color eyes. Even after all these years, I can still see his face and now I get to be reminded of it every time I look in the mirror."

Seifer lowered his head and fidgeted with the hilt of Hyperion.

"He didn't say a word to me," he continued. "He just…stared at me for a long time. I tried saying 'hi' to him, but that freaked him out. Then he just got up and left. Matron followed him. Eventually, I followed him too, and I could see him talking to her. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was pretty clear that Matron was trying to get him to stay and he wasn't having any of it. He ran out of there as fast as he could, and Matron watched him go with this sad look on her face. Then she saw me and tried to tell me that he was just some traveler who had lost his way."

"And you never saw or heard from him again, did you?" Laguna asked.

"Who cares? I didn't need him," Seifer spat. "I did just fine on my own. A loser like him probably would have just gotten in the way. Besides, it all worked out. I was able to go to Garden and get a lot of useful training, so I could finally live out my dream as a sorceress' knight and be just like…like..."

"Who?" Laguna asked.

Seifer scowled and shook his head. The name he was looking for was just on the tip of his tongue, but the memory remained stubbornly out of reach. He silently glowered at the scenery around him for a full minute when the sound of snow crunching under feet caught his attention. He was about to turn around to see what Laguna was doing when he suddenly felt a hand gently touch his shoulder.

"Seifer…I'm sorry," Laguna said quietly.

"You're sorry?" Seifer replied. "What does that mean? What have you got to be sorry about?"

"I'm sorry that that happened to you," Laguna said. "No child should have to go through something like that. I wish you could have…."

Seifer violently shrugged Laguna's hand away and jumped up from where he was sitting. He then whirled around and glared at him.

"Who do you think you are?" he snarled at Laguna. "I ain't a child and I don't need your pity. I told you that I did just fine on my own and I meant it. So stop with all this sympathy crap and worry about being Puberty Boy's daddy instead. You said yourself that you're probably not going to win a Father of the Year award any time soon, so maybe you should spend less time telling me you're sorry and more time figuring out how to be a decent parent to him."

Seifer stomped over to the rock that Laguna was sitting on and picked up the bag lying on the ground next to it. Then he threw it at him with Laguna barely being able to catch it.

"Get going," Seifer snapped at him. "I don't want to spend another night out here. And keep your mouth shut or I might just leave you behind."

Seifer put Hyperion away and grabbed the other bag before stomping off through the snow. He could hear Laguna following him, but otherwise, he was barely aware of his surroundings.

'_Dammit,' _Seifer thought. '_Why the hell did I tell him any of that? And what is the deal with him anyway, telling me that he's sorry? I'm no kid and yet here he is treating me like some pathetic little brat who needs someone to hold his hand.'_

Seifer ground his jaw and continued to tremble slightly with barely suppressed anger. In the back of his mind, he knew that part of what enraged him so much is that Laguna, a virtual stranger to him, was willing to do something his own father never would have: give a damn about him. In that moment, Seifer hated Squall more than he ever had in his entire life, angry and more than a little jealous that Squall had a father like Laguna while he got the short end of the stick yet again.

"Seifer!"

Seifer heard Laguna calling him, but would not turn around.

"Seifer!" Seifer clenched his hands tightly and spun on his heel to face him.

"What?" he barked. Laguna opened his mouth to respond, but a roar emanating from the forest surrounding them stopped him.

Seifer yanked out Hyperion and scanned the area around him. He hadn't even noticed any monsters following them and he cursed himself for being so careless.

"Seifer, maybe we should…."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Seifer said, glancing back at Laguna. "Hyne, do you ever listen? I swear if you…."

"Look out!" Laguna shouted, pointing at the space behind Seifer.

Seifer barely had time to turn around before he was struck with a giant claw and fell onto the ground. Dazed, blood running down his cheek, he looked up to see a huge Blue Dragon advancing toward him.

'_Crap,' _he thought. '_I was hoping to avoid those things. They can be as deadly as Ruby Dragons if you get one with a high enough level.'_

Seifer tried to get up, but stumbled back down, his head still spinning. He reached for Hyperion and was horrified to discover that it had been knocked out his grasp.

The dragon roared and moved closer, and Seifer's mind and heart raced as he tried to think of a way out of this.

'_It's hopeless. The minute I move, this thing will attack and that'll be the end.'_

Seifer raised his hand and started to chant a spell. Maybe he wouldn't survive this, but if he was going to die, he would also do his best to take this monster with him.

However, before he could finish the spell, Laguna dashed over, Hyperion in his grasp, and put himself between Seifer and the dragon. Still stunned by the blow that had thrown him to the ground, Seifer watched, dumbstruck, as Laguna waved the gunblade about in a way that was eerily familiar.

'_It…it's just like what I do…The way he holds it…that stance….it's just like…like….'_

Seifer's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in shock as long-forgotten memories suddenly flooded his brain, shutting out everything around him.

* * *

_It happened just after the man Seifer thought was his father visited the orphanage. Once Matron had regained her composure and saw him standing there, she smiled at him and reached down to pat his shoulder._

"_It's all right, Seifer," she said. "You don't need to worry about him. He was just someone who was lost and who thought he could find his way here. You can forget about him."_

_Seifer knew that there was no way that that was going to happen, but he nodded in response, wanting to avoid hurting Matron's feelings._

"_You know what?" she said. "I think I know just the thing to do now. Come with me."_

_Seifer followed her as she walked into one of the playrooms at the back of the orphanage. There was an old computer console there which they used to communicate with the outside world and to watch the news and instructional videos. _

"_Cid and I watched this movie a couple weeks ago," Matron said, pulling a small disc out of her pocket. "And I think you will enjoy it too. Shall we watch it together?"_

_Seifer shrugged and looked down at the ground while Edea put the disc into the console and started it up. Then she sat down on the couch while Seifer plopped down on the floor next to her._

_At first, Seifer only half-heartedly paid attention, too bored and depressed to think of anything else to do. But eventually, he was spellbound by the action on the screen, especially when it involved the main character of the film, Zefer. _

_Zefer was a knight, who ended up pledging his sword and his life to a sorceress, and in Seifer's eyes he was the most amazing and heroic person he had ever seen. Brave and strong as well as kind and virtuous, Zefer deftly fought numerous villains and dragons in the service of his sorceress. He commanded respect and admiration from the people who met him, and his sorceress adored him. _

_Time slipped away as Seifer continued to be absorbed in the movie and he was startled when it finally ended and the screen went blank. _

"_Well, that was quite an adventure," Matron said. "Did you enjoy it, Seifer?"_

_Seifer nodded, unable to speak. His mind was still fixated on Zefer and a part of him wanted to ask Matron if they could watch it again._

_Over the next couple weeks, Seifer ended up watching the movie more than once, and when he found that that he was going to be sent to Balamb Garden, he stole the disc so he could take it with him. Thus, whenever he could get a few hours by himself in his dorm room, he would pull it out and get lost in Zefer's adventures for a while. _

_Unfortunately, Seifer accidently broke the disc four years later, but by then it didn't matter because he had memorized every single word and scene in the movie. The character of Zefer was burned into his brain and it inspired him._

'_Someday,' he vowed to himself. 'Someday I'm going to be just like him. Matron was always talking about fate and destiny, and this is mine. It was my fate to find out about him and it's my destiny to be him. I'm sure of it. Even his name is almost like mine. That has to mean something.'_

_Seifer walked over and picked up the gunblade that was propped up against the wall on his side of the dorm room. Not many people chose a gunblade as their main weapon, but as soon as he saw it, Seifer knew that he had to learn to use it. He hoisted the blade up in the air and moved into what he thought was an epic pose. _

'_I'm going to be the greatest SeeD in all of Garden. And then, one day, I'll become a knight. The greatest knight the world has ever seen.'_

'_That is my dream.'_

* * *

Back in the present, Seifer continued to stare dumbfounded at Laguna as he did his best to keep the dragon at bay. Then he started to think about the things Laguna had said to him over the last couple of days.

'_He said that he had been in the army, and Galbadian soldiers used to learn how to use a gunblade as part of their basic training.'_

'_He said that he wrote articles and appeared in movies as a way to make money while he was searching for Ellone.'_

'_Zefer had long dark hair and green eyes...just like….'_

As the pieces came together Seifer shook his head in disbelief.

'_No…it can't be,' _he told himself. '_It's not possible….' _But no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, deep down, Seifer knew that he could not deny the truth that was right in front of him.

Laguna Loire, the president of Esthar, the father of his greatest rival and perhaps the goofiest man he had ever met, was also Zefer, his childhood hero and the man he had spent most of his life trying to emulate.

Seifer staggered as he got back up onto his feet while Laguna continued to parry and attack. At one point, Laguna managed to deliver a powerful blow to the dragon's chest, and the monster screeched in pain.

"Seifer!" Laguna shouted while glancing back at him. "I think I've almost got 'em."

"Loire, you idiot," Seifer replied. "Don't turn your back on that thing. Watch…."

But before he could finish that sentence, the dragon lunged forward and released a poison attack while slashing at Laguna with its claws. Laguna gasped and fell backward onto the ground, blood flowing from wounds on his arm and side.

"Bastard," Seifer growled at the dragon as he reached down and snatched up the gunblade from the snow where Laguna had dropped it. A tangle of confused emotions coursed through him as he lifted up his hand and a burst of flames shot forth, stunning the dragon.

"Die!" Seifer hissed as he spun Hyperion through the air alongside him, a green light beginning to glow along the edge of the blade. The light swiftly intensified and surged into a ball of energy near the tip. Then he swung the blade directly at the monster, releasing the energy that had been built up. The dragon roared again as the attack hit and it writhed about for a moment before dying and collapsing face first into the snow.

Seifer stumbled down onto on knee, panting with exertion while using his blade to prop him up, and stared at the corpse for several seconds to reassure himself that it was dead.

A weak moan from the ground beside him diverted his attention, and Seifer put his gunblade away before kneeling down next to Laguna, who was holding his side, a crimson bloom staining the snow around and underneath him.

"Seifer," he rasped. "Are…are you….?"

"I'm fine," Seifer grumbled. "You should be more worried about yourself right now."

Laguna moaned again, his eyes closing, but Seifer lightly slapped his cheek to keep him awake.

"Hold still," Seifer ordered. He then concentrated and chanted a mid-level cure spell. Soon, Laguna's wounds began to mend, but Laguna still continued to shake and gasp for air. After the spell had dissipated, Seifer examined him again and frowned.

"Damn," he mumbled. "It looks like I was able to stop the bleeding, but that thing must have poisoned you and I don't have any high level Esuna spells stocked right now."

"The…the bag," Laguna whispered. "The…potions…."

Seifer nodded and got up to fetch the bag he was carrying. He tore it open and dug around for the supply of potions he had taken with him. He swore loudly when he found that the vials had been broken when the bag had been flung from his shoulder.

"Gone," Seifer snapped, throwing the bag back onto the ground. "I've got nothing."

"Darn," Laguna said. "And here I…."

The rest of Laguna's words were lost in a sudden cry of pain, and Seifer rushed back over to him. He tore strips of cloth from the jacket Laguna was wearing and bound his wounds as best he could so they wouldn't reopen. Laguna's eyes started to close again, but Seifer shook him hard.

"Come on, Loire," he insisted. "Stay awake. Don't you want to get back to Esthar? That won't happen if you pass out on me."

"It's…it's all right," Laguna choked out. "You…you did your best….I…."

Laguna groaned and clutched his side. All the color had vanished from his face and sweat dripped from his forehead. Then Laguna yanked the bracelet off his wrist and did the same with the dog tags around his neck before grabbing Seifer's hand.

"Please," Laguna begged as he pushed the bracelet into Seifer's palm. "Give this…to Kiros…. Help him…find me…so he can bury me…. He…he won't have any peace…until he can…."

"Shut up," Seifer said. "You're not going to die, so stop telling me this crap and focus on getting up." Laguna shook his head and pressed the tags into his hand.

"Give these…to Squall," he said, his voice a faint whisper. "Tell him…tell him that I…I…."

Laguna gasped again, his eyes rolling back before he fell unconscious. Seifer tried shaking him again, but it was no use. He soon gave up and pounded the ground with his fist.

'_You moron!' _he fumed. '_You stupid, stupid moron! Why the hell did you do that? Why didn't you just run when you had the chance?'_

Seifer struck the ground again and let out a grunt of frustration. He tried to tell himself that the only reason Laguna tried to protect him was because he was relying on him to get him back to Esthar, that what Laguna did had nothing to do with him and that it was all just an indirect way to save his own skin.

But in the end, Seifer was forced to admit that that hadn't been it at all. Even though it was true that Laguna needed him to get to Balamb, Seifer was certain that that was not what had motivated him to put his own life on the line. Laguna chose to protect him because that was simply the kind of person he was.

Just like Zefer.

'_Stop that!' _Seifer told himself. '_That was just a character in some movie. He's not real. And Loire's not Zefer any more than I am.'_

It was that last thought that made Seifer squeeze his eyes shut and grit his teeth. He couldn't deny that he had longed to be like Zefer, but the fact was, somewhere along the way, he had lost sight of that and had fallen far short of his ideals. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Laguna was very much like the character he had played on film. Seifer could not understand how that was possible.

'_There's just no way that someone like Zefer could ever exist in the real world. And besides, Loire was a soldier and then a politician, right? Shouldn't he be…I don't know, selfish, ruthless and jaded by now? That's what would happen to most people in his position. So why is he still so…so…good?'_

Seifer opened his eyes and noticed how still Laguna was. He reached for Laguna's wrist so he could check his pulse. It was weak, but still there.

'_That Cure spell I used will keep him alive for a little while, but the poison will get him before too long. He's going to need a doctor.'_

Seifer clenched his jaw tightly. He was certain that that little shipping village would not have the means to treat Laguna, not to mention the fact that Laguna probably would not survive that long of a trip. He was also aware, however, that it would take him about half that time to reach Trabia Garden from here…and that they would have the necessary medical supplies and expertise to save him.

'_What's wrong with me?' _Seifer said, shaking his head. '_Was I actually thinking about voluntarily walking into SeeD territory? They'd arrest me the second I showed my face. I'd never see the light of day again. No…no, Garden is out. That is not an option.'_

Seifer looked back down at Laguna and sighed. While he was determined to stay away from Garden, he knew that doing so meant that Laguna would die, and that bothered him far more than he thought it would.

'_It's not like I owe him anything. I saved his life first, so we're even as far as that goes. And it's not like I didn't try to get him back to Esthar. I did. Even he said that I did the best I could. It just didn't work out. It's not as if anyone could really blame me for this.'_

Seifer frowned again. Despite the fact that he had been able to rationalize his actions during the Sorceress War, he hadn't been able to completely let go of the guilt and self-loathing he felt over being duped and manipulated into doing so many terrible things. Looking down at Laguna's motionless form, Seifer realized that those feelings would be even worse if he chose to let Laguna perish and that he would never be quite the same afterwards.

Seifer let his head droop and he let out another long sigh. He had never felt any sort of burning need for redemption, viewing it as a crutch of the weak who couldn't handle the consequences of their own decisions. But he did believe that this would probably be his last chance to fulfill the one dream that had meant more to him than just about everything else in the world.

He also knew that if he was going to do that, there was only one choice he could make.

'_And here I thought that Loire was the idiot,' _he thought. '_But it looks like I'm going to get to be the biggest idiot of them all.'_

Seifer shoved the bracelet and dog tags into his pocket and then carefully slipped his arms underneath Laguna's body. He slowly lifted him from the ground and maneuvered himself into a crouching position. Once he was standing upright again and had a firm hold on Laguna, he took a deep breath and headed off in the direction of Trabia Garden.

'_Maybe I'll be lucky and they won't shoot me on sight. Or maybe they'll be so grateful, that I saved Esthar's president that they'll actually consider letting me go.'_

'_Yeah and maybe Fujin will start wearing frilly pink dresses and Raijin will actually grow a brain. Why don't I wish for a million gil and my own palace while I'm at it? Any of that is far more likely than SeeD showing me even the tiniest shred of mercy.'_

Seifer smirked, but did not stop walking. He was finally going to live his dream, if only for a few hours, even if it killed him.

Which he was pretty sure would turn out to be the most likely scenario.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Next chapter. I plan on wrapping this one up in the next couple of chapters, so it should be finished in a week or two. We'll see. :)

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this. It is always appreciated.

Chapter Six

When he was growing up, Seifer Almasy had heard many things about heroes.

It started with the stories that Matron would read to all the children at the orphanage, and then was strengthened by the history lessons all the students at Garden would receive. He had learned that heroes often had to put themselves through some grueling trial to prove their worth or would have to go on a quest to serve some higher purpose. While Seifer often cast himself as a tragic hero who had to put up with idiots and villains constantly trying to thwart his goals, he was aware that there was a huge difference between saving the world and figuring out how to distract the student in front of him in the lunch line so he could snag the last hot dog. Thus, he longed to get to the point where he could join SeeD and go on real adventures so he could test his mettle and prove to the world why he deserved to be cast as the hero. Whenever he prepared himself for yet another assignment or SeeD exam, he tried to imagine what it would feel like when he finally got to realize his destiny.

Little did he know back then that realizing his destiny and being the hero did not mean grand gunblade duels and adoring fans. Instead, it meant sore arms, frozen feet and an aching back from lugging a world leader through the Trabian Snowfields.

'_Sheesh, Loire, you're not light, that's for sure, _Seifer grumbled to himself. '_You're lucky that you're unconscious right now because otherwise, I might be tempted to tear you a new one for destroying the transport.'_

Seifer paused in his trek and took a moment to catch his breath. He had double-checked and refastened the makeshift bandages covering Laguna's wounds three hours prior when the man's blood had begun to seep through his shirt. This also gave him an opportunity to shift Laguna onto his back, making him easier to carry. Despite this, Seifer was growing increasingly exhausted from the exertion of walking through deep snow as fast as he could while bearing the weight of another person on his back.

'_I know I've been walking for hours,' _he thought. '_It can't be that much further to Garden. Not that I'm looking forward to having my ass fried by a battalion of SeeDs, but at this point, I think I'd settle for anything to put me out of my misery.'_

Seifer cocked his head toward Laguna's still form and made sure that he was still breathing before taking a deep breath of his own and resumed walking. Seconds after he did so, the wind picked up and Seifer saw specks of white float down to the ground all around him.

'_Great, just great,' _he scowled. '_Of course it had to start snowing again. Of course. What next? A herd of Mesmerize? It wouldn't surprise me at this point.'_

Seifer stumbled, but made sure to not drop Laguna as he continued to plod through the snow. He was about to grumble some more when a distant roar suddenly got his attention. He stopped and put a hand onto the hilt of Hyperion as he scanned the area around him.

'_Dammit, I can't afford to stop. Loire's getting weaker by the minute, and if I have to waste a bunch of time clearing out a hoard of monsters, he won't make it.' _

Seifer squinted and saw a black shape heading toward him at a steady pace. It didn't look like a monster, but the snow was making it hard for him to tell what exactly it was. As it moved closer, he began to make out other small shapes moving alongside it, and Seifer carefully sat Laguna down onto the ground behind him and drew his gunblade out of its sheath.

'_No chance of running now. Looks like I'll have to fight. But they'll be sorry that they messed with me. I'll see to that.'_

Another roar reached his ears, and in that instant, Seifer realized that what he was seeing was not a group of monsters. He immediately lowered his gunblade and shielded his eyes with his hand.

'_That's no monster…that's a transport. Looks like a caravan or something. Well hell, maybe there's some hope after all.'_

The elation he felt was short-lived, however, when Seifer realized that transport had a very familiar looking emblem on the hood…and that the people marching toward him were wearing SeeD uniforms. He barely had time to put Hyperion away and hold out his hands in a placating gesture before a pair of thunder spells zapped at the ground on either side of him.

"Don't move!" a voice bellowed at him. Seifer snorted and raised his hands, not wanting a repeat of what just happened. The transport ground to a halt right in front of him and a group of SeeDs surrounded him, their weapons pointed right at his head.

"I don't believe it," one of the mercenaries said. "Seifer Almasy, right here in Trabia."

"Look, he's got the president with him. And it looks like he's been injured."

"Mister President, are you all right? What happened?"

"Hey, is that blood on Almasy's shirt?"

"What happened to the president?" "

"What did you do to him, Almasy?"

"I didn't do anything other than save his life," Seifer snapped at them. "So how about you stop worrying about me and focus on getting him some help?"

"Shut up!" one of the SeeDs said, jabbing his rifle into Seifer's back and shoving him to his knees. "You're under arrest, Almasy."

"Yeah, big surprise," Seifer grumbled. "Look, he's been poisoned and those wounds in his side have opened up again. He needs treatment now."

"I said be quiet and don't move," one of the SeeDs said, pressing the muzzle of his rifle against Seifer's head. Seifer clenched his jaw shut and held still while watching a pair of messenger girls kneel down next to Laguna's prone body.

"Sir, President Loire is seriously injured and he isn't waking up," one of them said.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Seifer said, exasperated. "So hurry up before it's too late."

The man standing behind him turned his rifle around and struck Seifer in the back, pushing him face first into the snow.

"Help President Loire into the transport," he ordered. "As soon as we arrive, take him to the infirmary. As for you, Almasy, you're about to get acquainted with the inside of a prison cell. _Very_ acquainted, if you get my drift."

"Trust me, I get it," Seifer sighed while spitting out a clump of snow. "Just do me a favor and lose the tough-guy act, will ya? You're too much of a putz to pull it off and it's getting pretty damn embarrassing to watch."

The man hauled Seifer upright by the collar of his coat and pulled out a set of restraints to bind Seifer's wrists together.

'_Yeah, great times,' _Seifer thought, glowering. '_Still, at least it can't get any worse.'_

"Oh and Rissa," the man behind him said. "Make sure to contact Balamb Garden and inform Commander Leonhart of the situation."

'_Damn. Spoke too soon.'_

* * *

Three hours later, Seifer was sitting on a rickety chair in a windowless cell at the very back of the detention center. His gunblade had been taken away, and Seifer scowled when he thought about how the people who were handling it did not look like that had a clue as to how to care for it.

'_If they put even one scratch on Hyperion, I'm taking out of their hides,' _he thought, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.

Seifer let out a long sigh and tilted the chair back. He tried asking the guard a couple times about Laguna's condition, but the guard wouldn't even look at him, much less speak to him, so Seifer quickly gave up. Instead he started to think about Fujin and Raijin and wondered how they would react once they found out about his arrest.

'_Knowing Rai, he'll probably come up with some half-baked plan to break me out. Hopefully Fu will knock some sense into him before he has a chance to do anything. Then again, she might be distracted with trying to come up with an idea of her own.'_

Seifer sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. As much as his posse annoyed him to no end at times, he really did not want them to share the same fate as him. For that matter, he didn't really want to rot in prison for the rest of his life either, but right now, he couldn't think of a viable plan to escape.

Seifer rocked back and forth in his chair and started to close his eyes when the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall caught his attention. He leaned forward, setting all four legs back onto the floor, and looked to see the guard leaving through a side exit.

"Hey," Seifer called out. "What's going on? You decide to take a coffee break or something?"

The guard said nothing as the door closed behind him, and Seifer huffed and slumped down in his chair. Then another set of footsteps, swift and staccato, clicked along the floor toward his cell. Seifer peered down the hallway and blinked hard when he realized that the figure walking toward him was a very angry looking Squall Leonhart.

Seifer stood up as Squall approached his cell. Then he flinched when Squall pulled out Lionheart and aimed it right at his head, the tip of the blade less than an inch from his nose, with one fluid motion.

"Good to see you again too, Squall," Seifer said, backing up a step. "How's Rinoa?"

"What did you do to Laguna?" Squall growled, his grip tightening on the hilt of his gunblade.

"Hey, hold on," Seifer said. "I'll have you know that I saved your daddy's life."

"What are you talking about?" Squall demanded, Lionheart still pointed dead center of Seifer's forehead.

"You know that Loire's ship was destroyed, right?" Seifer said. "Well it just so happens that I was the one who found his escape pod. And he was lucky that I found him when I did."

Squall stared at him for a few seconds before lowering his weapon and putting in back in its sheath. Seifer let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding while Squall crossed his arms over his chest.

"All right, explain," Squall said, narrowing his eyes at him.

Seifer proceeded to tell Squall about how Laguna's escape pod had crashed near his hideout, about how he had tried to take care of Laguna, and about the journey the two of them had taken toward the shipping village so Laguna could catch a boat back to Balamb. He made sure to conveniently leave out their personal conversations. Squall only needed to know the bare minimum.

During this narrative, Squall listened with the same impassive and yet distinctly hostile expression he had had from the beginning. Eventually Seifer came to the end, and Squall stared at him for a long moment before speaking.

"And why should I believe any of this?" he asked. Seifer rolled his eyes and held out his arms.

"Come on, Squall, why would I make something like this up, huh?" he said. "Think about it, if I had actually hurt Loire, do you really think I'd make this my next stop?"

"I don't know," Squall said with a slight smirk. "Maybe you've decided that prison is easier than living as a fugitive. Or maybe you've finally shown the world why you never could pass a SeeD exam."

"Ha ha, real funny," Seifer snorted. "But in the end, I'm the one who rescued him. End of story."

"And yet, he's the one lying in the infirmary and not you," Squall said, a spark of anger reappearing in his eyes. "The way I see it, you still haven't explained why he got injured by that Blue Dragon in the first place."

"Because he's a moron, all right?" Seifer said, frustrated. He saw Squall's jaw clench and his hand reflexively move back toward Lionheart and quickly decided that he better elaborate.

"Look, I didn't ask for Loire's help, ok?" Seifer continued. "It just sort of happened. I don't really understand either why he chose to put himself between me and that dragon instead of hightailing it out of there while he had the chance. But if I had to guess, I'd say that he's just that way. He's like those people you read about who go around helping everyone just because it's 'the right thing to do'. I didn't think people like that existed outside of books, but apparently they do because your dad is one of them. Are you saying that you haven't noticed that about him before now?"

Seifer suddenly stopped when he saw an intense mix of emotions flicker in Squall's eyes. It only lasted for a moment, however, and Squall soon regained his impenetrable stare.

"No," Squall said, turning his face away abruptly. "No, I…I've noticed it."

"Then I think you already know why he did what he did," Seifer said. "So…?"

Squall frowned and continued to look down at the floor for another minute before finally lifting his head.

"I can't believe that I'm saying this," he said. "But…I believe you. Your story makes sense and it fits with what we've found out so far."

"Finally, someone takes the time to figure this out," Seifer said, throwing up his arms in the air. "I tried explaining this to these people here more than once, but they wouldn't even bother to listen. At least I can count on you to have a brain and to, you know, actually use it. So…seeing as how I did you a favor, how about cutting me some kind of deal?" Squall glared at him.

"A deal?" he said. "All right, how about this?" Squall walked over even closer and raised his hand to point direct between his eyes.

"If Laguna survives, I'll consider letting you live," he said. "But if he dies…you're next."

Seifer frowned, another sarcastic remark on the tip of his tongue, but said nothing. Any lingering doubts that he had over whether or not Squall truly cared for his father were immediately erased when he saw the cold, resolute and yet still a tiny bit anxious look in the commander's eyes as he promised to kill him if Laguna didn't make it.

'_And yet, Loire acted like he didn't even know if Squall gave a damn about him. He must really be an idiot to completely miss this,' _he mused. '_Then again this is Balamb's resident Ice Princess we are talking about here. Puberty Boy ain't exactly the type to let people know how he feels. That is, unless he's thinking about taking them out permanently.'_

Seifer turned away from Squall, his shoulders sagging.

'_Hyne, I don't know what's wrong with me, but it looks I've got another chance to play the Hero. Who knew that playing the good guy was such a tiring job.'_

"Instead of hanging around here and doing your usual dance with me, maybe you should be spending some time with your dad," Seifer said quietly. "In case you haven't noticed, he's been through a lot these last couple of days. And…it seems to me like he could stand to know that you actually care about him 'cause from what I could tell he has no idea."

Seifer hunched down even more and moved to stand closer to the back wall of his cell.

"Maybe you should think real hard about the fact that you actually get to have a father like him," he continued. "You know, there a lot of people who only get to dream of things like that. Oh and try calling him 'Dad' for a change. He might like it."

Squall didn't respond, and Seifer heard him walk away without saying another word. Once his footsteps faded, Seifer slumped back down onto the chair and rubbed his face.

'_Can't believe I've become such a sap. Oh well, maybe if it all goes well, Squally will reconsider the whole "deadly revenge" thing.'_

* * *

Squall walked out of the detention center, ignoring the salutes he received along the way and began to make his way toward the infirmary.

He had been out on a mission when Kiros first contacted Balamb Garden, and it wasn't until he had gotten back that he had even heard that something had happened to his father's ship. He immediately contacted Esthar, and Kiros informed him of their progress thus far, including their intention to include Trabia Garden on the ground search. Squall went to Cid and Edea to ask if he could delay his mission report and take the Ragnarok to Trabia so he could help with the search. Thankfully, they granted his request without even a second of hesitation.

Squall felt another spike of worry and clenched his jaw as he tried to suppress it. Even though Kiros had clearly been determined to work under the assumption that Laguna was still alive, Squall could detect the agitation and fear behind Kiros' seemingly placid, business-like demeanor, and that made him worry even more about his father's wellbeing. On the trip to Trabia, he had tried to work through a variety of scenarios in his head so he could be ready for whatever news he heard next about Laguna. He didn't want to admit it, but he was certain he could never prepare himself enough if Laguna had died.

When he landed near Trabia Garden, he was greeted by a pair of SeeDs who informed him that Seifer had been found wandering around the Bika snowfields with Laguna's body. Although Squall couldn't think of any reason why Seifer would want to harm Laguna, he couldn't deny that the circumstances strongly suggested that he had and that that had made his blood boil. He demanded to see Seifer right away and had marched into the detention center with the intent of tearing Seifer to pieces if it turned out that he had hurt his father.

Looking back on it now, Squall realized that, until that moment, he had no idea how much his father had come to mean to him. Granted, things had not always gone smoothly between them after Laguna told him the truth, but over time they had formed a mostly pleasant relationship. Still, for reasons he couldn't really explain, Squall had continued to keep some distance between them, turning down most of Laguna's invitations to visit and keeping any messages or conversations between them short and to the point. At first, he thought that maybe there was still some residual anger over Laguna not being there for him when he was a child, but he eventually dismissed that when he realized that he had completely accepted that Laguna had had little choice in the matter.

When he thought about it now, however, Squall realized that what he had done was take Laguna for granted. In his mind, there was always "next time" when it came to his father's invitations and there was always something "more important" to deal with whenever Laguna tried to contact him to catch up. He could always sense a tinge of sadness and disappointment from Laguna whenever he gave him the brush off, but Squall usually managed to push any guilt he felt aside with the excuse that they were both busy people with too many responsibilities to expect to spend much time together.

However, this incident proved to be a stern reminder that neither of them could count on there always being a "next time" for them, and Squall found himself deeply regretting all those times when he could have easily spent some more time with his father and chose not to. During the flight over, he wondered if he would even have a chance to rectify his mistakes and had felt a cold pit of fear inside him when he thought about how he might not even have a chance to say goodbye to Laguna, let alone have another chance to visit with him. Thus, he had been far more relieved than words could ever convey when the SeeDs who met him when he arrived informed him that Laguna was still alive and that he was currently in stable condition.

When he reached the infirmary, Squall paused and took a deep breath. After listening to what Seifer had to say and having some additional time to digest it, Squall found that he truly did believe his story. Still, he couldn't shake the strange uncomfortable feeling he had over the idea of Laguna trying to protect Seifer even though he agreed with Seifer that it was very much Laguna's nature to act that way.

'_Even so, leave it to Seifer to put Laguna into that position in the first place,' _Squall silently fumed. '_Laguna is almost fifty years old, hasn't been a soldier for decades, and from the sound of it, was already mildly injured from the escape pod crash. Seifer should have tried harder to keep him safe.'_

Squall sighed and shook his head. Even though he was angry at Seifer for being the reason why his father was currently in the infirmary, he had to admit that Seifer really wasn't under any obligation to help Laguna out in the first place. Thus, Squall did feel some gratitude that Seifer had chosen to be unusually altruistic toward Laguna, but was also genuinely puzzled by the impression Seifer had given him that he actually cared about Laguna's wellbeing.

Choosing to put these thoughts aside for now, Squall walked into the infirmary and asked to see the doctor in charge of Laguna's care. A couple minutes later, the doctor showed up and they saluted each other before going to the doctor's office to talk.

"I am happy to report that President Loire has responded very well to treatment and is currently resting comfortably, Commander Leonhart," the physician told him. "Apparently, a cure spell had been used on him at one point, and that took care of all but the deepest wound to his side, but we managed to stitch that up just fine. Also, he had been poisoned and was teetering close to a critical state, but we gave him some antidote mixed with a high level curative potion and that seems to have cleared that up."

"That's good to hear," Squall nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."

"You're welcome," the doctor smiled at him. "Now, you should know that he is still pretty weak from the trauma, cold and blood loss he experienced, but he should be up and around in two or three days. Although, it would probably be better if he took at least another week off before resuming his full schedule."

"Understood," Squall said. "May I see him now?"

"Of course, I figured you might want to," the doctor said. "Seeing as he is your father and all. I just ask that you keep your visit short so he can get some more rest. If you will follow me."

The doctor guided Squall to a small room in a side corridor of the infirmary and opened the door to let the young commander inside.

"He's been in and out of consciousness for a while now, but every time he wakes up he has been increasingly coherent," the doctor murmured. "I'll go ahead and leave you two alone so you can have some privacy."

The doctor stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him while Squall walked over toward the bed. Laguna's eyes were closed, his face pale, and his breathing slow and even. He did not wake up while Squall pulled up a chair and sat down, and Squall started to wonder if maybe it would be better to remain quiet and let his father rest.

A few seconds later, however, Laguna began to stir, and Squall leaned over and touched his arm.

"Laguna," he said softly. "Are you awake?"

Laguna groaned and furrowed his eyebrows before blinking his eyes open. He studied Squall for a moment with a slightly confused expression but soon recognition shone in his eyes and he smiled.

"Squall," he croaked, his smile growing. "It's so good to see you. But um…where am I?"

"You're at Trabia Garden," Squall answered. "And it's good to see you too."

"Garden? How did I get here?" Laguna asked. "Wait…Seifer. Where is he? Is he here too?"

"Yes, he is," Squall said, a frown appearing on his face. "SeeD found him with you while they were canvassing the area in a ground search. He's…in holding right now."

"Oh," Laguna said, his smile fading. "Yeah, I suppose that makes sense. I mean, that's why Seifer originally wanted to avoid this place. Look Squall, I don't know what anyone else has told you, but Seifer…what happened to me was not his fault. He…."

"It's ok," Squall assured him. "I talked to Seifer and he told me what happened. I know that he isn't the one who injured you."

"Oh ok," Laguna said, leaning back against his pillow. "And um, I meant it when I said I was happy to see you, but…why are you here?"

"Why?" Squall said, stunned. "Laguna, don't you know? Half the world was looking for you. Kiros has got search teams from Esthar and all three Gardens canvassing Trabia."

"Kiros," Laguna said, suddenly tense. "Squall, does he know where I am? Has anyone…?"

"Don't worry," Squall said. "Esthar was contacted as soon as you arrived and according to the Headmaster, they've been keeping Kiros and Ward updated on your condition the entire time. Apparently, they're wrapping up some things back at the Palace, but Kiros wanted you to know that he and Ward will be here by late tomorrow to take you home."

"That's good," Laguna said, relaxing. "I'm sure he was really worried."

"As was I," Squall said, barely above a whisper.

Laguna cocked his head quizzically at him, and Squall swallowed hard. Normally, he did his best to avoid thinking too much about anything Seifer said to him, but for some reason, Seifer's words continued to bother him and Squall found himself compelled to act.

"Dad…I…," he said quietly. "When Kiros told me about what happened and about how no one knew for sure if you were still alive. …I couldn't stop thinking about… if you were…."

Squall let his words trail off, unable to trust himself to continue any further. He looked down at the floor and was soon startled when he felt Laguna touch his forearm.

"Hey Squall, it's ok," his father said gently. "I'm here now, and the doctors acted like I'd be just fine in a day or two. So don't worry, all right? And hey, cheer up. It's like they say, it's always darkest right before you find the light switch."

Squall shook his head and let out a chuckle. In the past, his father's tendency to mangle tired sayings annoyed him at best and embarrassed him at the worst. But in that moment, Squall suddenly remembered how he had briefly thought that he would never get to hear those "Laguna-isms" ever again and despite his father's reassurances, he wasn't able to stop his eyes from tearing up.

"Dad…" he said, his voice wobbly.

Squall bowed his head even more and soon felt Laguna gingerly guide him closer to him and then envelop him in a tight hug. Squall was surprised by the gesture, but what surprised him even more was that he didn't want Laguna to let him go.

"_Maybe you should think real hard about the fact that you actually get to have a father like him." _

Squall closed his eyes and hugged his father back. He thought about how, for most of his life, he had also only been able to dream about having parents who loved and cared for him. All of that changed when he met Laguna, and now Squall realized that it had taken him a long time to fully appreciated the gift he had been given.

And with that realization came the determination to make sure to do whatever was needed to hold onto that gift.


End file.
